11. Thames division

In the 1790’s the West India Company of Merchantmen decided to form their own river patrol to protect their cargoes against looting and pilfering which were rife at the time. From this small beginning the idea of a river police was developed.

The first Marine Police Office was opened in 1798 on the site of the present Divisional Headquarters of Thames Division at Wapping. This consisted of a judicial department as well as a police depart­ment and was under the control of a resident Magistrate. In 1839 the Police Office was made part of the 10 year old Metropolitan Police and the judicial department became the Thames Police Court.

In the early days, the police officers carried out their work in row­ing boats and sailing craft but in 1910 motor boats were introduced. Today duty boats constantly patrol the river 24 hours a day, together with launches used by senior officers both for ordinary duty and ceremonial occasions. Apart from carrying gear required by Statu­tory and Port Regulations, the boats are also equipped with drags, lifebuoys, buoyant cushions, salvage gear and first aid equipment in­cluding a stretcher and a resuscitator.

Thames Division covers 54 miles of river from Dartford Creek to Staines Bridge and is served by three police stations. Some of these were originally hulks, but they have now been replaced by buildings on shore. The one exception is the station at Waterloo Pier, which is housed on a pontoon and remains unique as the only floating police station in London.

All the officers are volunteers drawn from every other Branch and Division in the Force. Numbers of them have served with the Royal or Merchant Navies. All officers can swim, have a high stand stand­ard of first aid and are required to pass an examination in the man­agement of boats and navigation.

The beat and patrol systems which operate on the river are simi­lar to those on land and have the same broad function to perform. This is the protection of life and property of all those connected with the river, whether they work there in the wharfs, live there or spend their leisure time on pleasure craft. In addition, Thames Division also has responsibility for dealing with vessels in collision, fires on ships, barges or wharfs, the salvage of property which has come adrift and the securing of drifting barges.

Wapping is also the headquarters of the famous Underwater Search Unit - the police frogmen. The Unit consists of nine divers with an Inspector in charge. It was first formed on a part-time basis in 1962 but, as the demands for its services grew, it became full-time in 1964. The Unit operates throughout the Metropolitan Police Dis­trict and is used to search rivers, flooded gravel pits and quarries, ponds, canals and waterways to recover missing persons, stolen prop­erty and weapons and other articles used in crime.

For nearly 200 years now, the Thames has been constantly pa­trolled. Many of the docks and wharfs in the Pool of London have closed and the use of the river is now turning to water sports and leisure which have their own problems of crime and accidents. There is little doubt that Thames Division will continue to provide a valuable service for as long as people and craft are on the river.