Palestine Police Force And Prisons Service before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 584. Chapter XV: Law and Order : (a) Prevention and Detection of Crime : Table 1

CHAPTER XV.

(a) that the British section of the Force be increased to 650 other ranks;

(b) that sealed armouries be provided for Jewish colonies in increased numbers and that police personnel additional to the strength of the Police Force be detailed for the protection of these colonies in times of emergency;

(c) the provision of police barracks and married quarters;

(d) the establishment of a new criminal investigation department; and

(e) the formation of a permanent special constabulary reserve.

IJ. By the time of the outbreak of the disturbances in 1936, the measures recommended by Sir Herbert Dowbiggin had been given only partial effect. The British section of the Police had been reinforced and the C.I.D. reorganized. Certain difficulties had been encountered in the improvement of the arrangements for police protection of the Jewish community. The police barracks had not yet been constructed, largely for financial reasons, and there was as yet no permanent special constabulary reserve. The organization of the security forces during the period up to Hl37, treated in bare summary above, is considered in greater detail in Chapter VII of the Royal Commission's report. Here it need only be mentioned that on five occasions (in 1920, 1923, 192:5, 1928 and 1932) the strength of the forces was reduced for reasons of economy, only to be reinforced later. The effect of the changes, in so far as they concerned the internal security forces other than military forces, is shown in table 1. The number of criminal cases dealt with by the police during the years taken in table 1 are set out in table 2.

Table l.

PALESTINE POLICE FORCE AND PRISONS SERVICE, 1919-1937, AND GENDARMERIE IN 1922.

------- - -----

1 I British I Peteetrnteu I British I Palestinian I

Year Formation officers officers other rnnks othET ranks Total

1~1 O.E.T. polie_* I_ ~!---"------1~1~

1922 Police 17 I ~l l.118 1 1,186

British Gendarmerie 38 , 724 I I 762

Palestinian

Gendannerie 19 I 8 2 487 510

---- ---•-------

TOTAL:~ 68 1---"- ---'-"- __ ,_,Goa •-~

192G j Police & Prisons 48 ] '17 I 197 I 1,430 ) 1,752

1929 I Police & Prisons

61

**

857

1,829

2,324

, , , _

1935 I Police & Prisons

102

6'S

2,0:17

2,888

1937 I Police & Prisons

76

116

1,116

2,579

S,887

N. D. The designation 'officer' in this table includes inspectors.

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