Police – central government records

Policing was a major issue in parliament in the 19th century. Evidence presented to parliamentary commissions by Scottish burghs, counties and other bodies and individuals appears in parliamentary papers.

From 1857 onwards HM Inspector of Constabulary visited and enquired into the state and efficiency of Scottish police forces and of their buildings and equipment and laid reports before each house in parliament. These reports enabled the Secretary of State to decide whether an Exchequer grant could be properly paid to a police authority. Their reports were made public in Command Papers (a series within parliamentary papers). From 1857 until 1886 the Secretary of State in question was the Home Secretary, and records relating to HM Inspector of Constabulary survive among the records of the Home Office held at The National Archives. From 1887 the reports were made to the Secretary of State for Scotland and latterly to Scottish Ministers. For the National Records of Scotland’s holdings of HMI reports, see below.

Records relating to the police in the National Records of Scotland

HH4 Police report files
Manuscript reports of inspections by HM Inspector of Constabulary presented to the Secretary of State for Scotland, which have annotations and other additions. The National Records of Scotland have retained a sample of reports for 2 large burghs (Edinburgh and Glasgow), 2 small burghs (Alloa and Brechin), 1 large county (Aberdeenshire) and 1 small county (Banffshire) for the period 1887-1929. For printed reports see HH79 below. Also in this series is a small sample of Chief Constables’ Annual Reports for several burgh and county forces, 1890-1930 & 1969-88.

HH52 Police circulars

Scottish Office Police Circulars numbers 84-5574 (1890-1943).

HH55 Police series: general files

Over 400 files from the Home and Health Department of the Scottish Office, 1891-1998 (and continuing), containing information on a wide range of police related subjects, including riots, war duties (intelligence reports), Irish disturbances (1920s), road traffic, Scottish Criminal Record Office (1958 onwards), complaints against police, crime prevention, police college, police organisation, and firearms. There is a typescript index by subject matter and constabulary name.

HH79 HMI reports

Printed copies (Command Papers) of the annual HMI reports presented to parliament under the 1857 Police (Scotland) Act. An incomplete set covering the years 1901-1932 (with gaps). These and others should be in Command Papers held by large reference libraries.