York Minster Police
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
York Minster Police is a small, specialised constabulary responsible for policing York Minster of St. Peter and its precincts. It currently has just nine officers. The only other church in the world to have its own police force is St Peter's in Rome.
The police originated after the Minster fire of 1829. However, they were originally called "constables", and the title of Minster Police first occurs in 1855.Thus the post of Minster Police officer precedes the establishment of Sir Robert Peel's modern day Police Constabulary. In fact, Sir Robert Peel is said to have examined the Minster Police before forming the British police force. It is little wonder he should have visited the Deanery at York as his sister was married to the then Dean, William Cockburn, and on some of those visits he would surely have observed the Minster police on duty.
Officers of the Minster Police are sworn in as constables, however their jurisdiction is limited to the minster and its environs, and they no longer have any power of arrest.
The Minster Police are heavily supported by the local Home Office police force, North Yorkshire Police. Any serious or major crime or incidents become the responsibility of North Yorkshire Police.
