Records of the Cardiff Borough Police Force

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): D/D Con/C 1-10

Title: Records of the Cardiff Borough Police Force

Date(s): 1836 - 1969

Level of description: Fonds

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 400 volumes; 11 bundles of plans

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s):

Administrative/Biographical history: The first superintendent of police for the Borough of Cardiff was appointed in 1836. The Cardiff police force expanded and was later divided into 4 divisions: A-D. The force was amalgamated with the police forces of Glamorgan, Merthyr and Swansea in 1969 to form the South Wales Constabulary.

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: The records of the Cardiff Borough Police Force are divided into 10 sections: (1) Reports; (2) Orders and circulars; (3) Crime Records; (4) Inquest records; (5) Newscuttings; (6) Plans of licensed premises; (7) Licensing records; (8) Administrative records; (9) Personnel records; (10) Other records. The majority of records document information about police work in Cardiff and crime statistics via official reports of successive Chief Constables, crime registers, inquest records, seargents' general reports of divisional duties and other administrative files dating from 1836 to 1969.

Within the collection of crime records (Reference D/D Con/C 3-4) there are 7 volumes of fingerprint and photographic registers, dated 1904-1933, which provide a documentary photography archive of people charged and tried as a result of crimes committed in the Cardiff region. Each register covers a period of c.3-4 years and tabulates brief details about the nature of the crime, the date of fingerprinting, the date and result of the trial and a photograph for each listed individual.

The registers cover a period in Cardiff's history when industrial decline, economic recession and discriminatory employment practices in the coal and shipping industries led to high unemployment within the Black communities of Butetown. As a result, unemployed men of African descent feature in the crime statistics and their photographs are included in the registers (Reference D/D Con/C 3/2/1-7).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

System of arrangement:

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: To consult items in this collection requests must be made in writing to the Glamorgan Record Office, as written permission must be received from the Cardiff police force in advance of a visit. Once permission has been granted visitors are also advised to contact the Glamorgan Record Office to reserve a place in the searchroom. Opening hours are as follows: Tuesday-Friday: 9.30am-5.00pm (4.30pm on Friday); Late opening, by appointment, Wednesday 5.00pm - 7.00pm; Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays.

Conditions governing reproduction: © Cardiff Borough Police Force

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: Printed list

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals: Glamorgan Record Office, The Glamorgan Building, King Edward Vll Avenue, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NE.

Existence and location of copies:

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Publication note:

DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:

Interest: Asian, Black

Specific group:

Subjects

Police

Crime

Personal/Corporate names

Cardiff Borough Police Force

Places

Cardiff, United Kingdom