352 PAR - Liverpool Parks Police website

Historical website showing a part of Liverpool's history that was almost lost. Over the last few years John Hutchinson and other former officers, with the support of the Chief Constable, have recorded the history of the force (including the history of the Liverpool Airport Police): "It was a very enjoyable, expensive and painstaking task extending over many hours of research, miles of travel - with communications as far as the USA and Canada. The task was completed with the City Of Liverpool acknowledging the publication of the website and calling the last few serving members to a presentation at Liverpool Town Hall. Since that day many of the officers have passed on - knowing that they will not be forgotton or the work of the Park Constables will have their place in Liverpool's great history. In 1972 the Parks Police ceased operational duty and senior officers from the then Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary removed the historical records from custody and care of Supertintendant John Bucanhan LLB of the Liverpool Parks Police. All the historical records dating back to the mid 1800s were then destroyed - not out of malice or ill will but out of an ignorance of the important part the Parks Police had played in the city's history. A similar fate was taking place to the old City Police records under a similar policy of "out with the old and in with the new". I then continued my police career after the Liverpool Parks Police was disbanded and in 1991 a very senior Merseyside police officer at a policy meeting stated that Liverpool never had a Parks Police Force. Those comments enrage me and my former colleagues, some who were now serving with the Merseyside Police. I then set about the task of formulating the historical website and it was a tremendous success both for me and my colleagues."