Dover Police Station CT16 1DJ in Ladywell from The Park Inn, Dover, Kent, UK

Dover Police Station is situated on the south-eastern side of Ladywell between the rear of the Town Hall, out-of-shot to the right, and the houses of Park Street to the left.

The telephone number for non-emergency matters is 01304 240055 in Dover or 01622 690690 in Maidstone (1); despite the Dover, "01304" prefix, apparently the first number is answered in Maidstone, anyway!

The Kent Police Museum, based at The Chatham Historic Dockyard, has a small photo (2) of Dover Police Station taken during the Second World War. The caption reads:

Dover Police Station, Ladywell, after cross channel bombardment. The station had only been open a few months.

I was a bit surprised to read it was shell rather than bomb damage because the front of the station faces away from the Cape Gris Nez area of France where German guns long-range were located, but maybe the shell entered through the back of the building and blast damage exploded out of the front. On the other hand, I'm continually being surprised by things I know nothing about :)

The Kent Police Museum also has some interesting notes on the early history of policing in Dover (3):

With the passing of the Municipal Corporations Act, Dover promptly formed a proper police force in January 1836, consisting of 15 men made up of three sergeants and twelve constables...

...A police station was erected in Queen Street (4), Dover in 1838 which the Government Inspector later found to be "well-constructed but requiring some appliance for promoting warmth in cold weather"...

...The Dover Police were also responsible for fire brigade duties and a fire engine was kept in the Town Pound in Queen Street. The Superintendent was also the Captain of the Fire Brigade and was paid an allowance for each time he turned out to a fire.

The above photo was taken on Sunday, September 26th, 2010, from in front of The Park Inn (my local pub!) in Park Place.

In the foreground, the River Dour runs from left to right under the road and emerges on the other side of the bridge parapet at bottom-right before making its way to the Bowling Green, Pencester Gardens, and the sea at Wellington Dock.

Click to see all Dover Police photos.

Of related interest may be Dover District Council's webpage on Anti-Social Behaviour:

The definition of anti-social behaviour under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 is that it is 'behaviour likely to cause alarm, harassment or distress to members of the public not of the same household as the perpetrator'.

Also see Neighbourhood Policing in Dover (Dover town is covered by the Castle area).

Dover Police Force is part of Kent County Constabulary.

The Port of Dover Police is an independent police force that is entirely privately funded.

General (5):

Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland (administration of police matters is not generally affected by the Government of Wales Act 2006).

In the United Kingdom, every person has limited powers of arrest if they see an indictable crime being committed – these are called "every person powers", commonly referred to as a "citizen's arrest". In England and Wales, the vast majority of attested constables enjoy full powers of arrest and search as granted by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE).

All police officers are "constables" in law, irrespective of rank. Although police officers have wide ranging powers, they are still civilians and subject to the same laws as members of the public. However there are certain legal restrictions on police officers such as the illegality of taking industrial action and the ban on taking part in active politics.

Origin of Ladywell (6):

In this road was once the “Well of Our Lady”, a natural spring whose waters had, reputedly, curative and even miraculous properties. The well used to be in a nook in the wall of the Maison Dieu, and in the days before the Dover Waterworks, when good water was scarce, this water was carried all over the town. When the Corporation purchased the Maison Dieu in 1836, the well was covered over and a public pump installed over it. In 1858 this pump was repaired but in 1866, when a scientific analysis found the water to be unfit for human consumption, the pump was removed and the well closed.

Sir Robert Peel and The Peelers - the world's first police force.

(1) Kent Police: Dover Police Station

(2) Police Stations photo album: Dover Police Station during World War II

(3) The Early Days of Policing in Kent, Part 7

(4) I lived in Queen Street until I was 3 years-old: John Latter on a Rocking Horse; John Latter in his very own Armchair

(5) Wikipedia entry for Law enforcement in the United Kingdom

(6) Street Name Origins: Ladywell

John Latter / Jorolat

Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

This is the Images of Dover website: click on any red or blue "John Latter" link to access the Entry Page.

In April, 2009, I took some photos of Dover Police making an arrest at Priory Hill and the High Street.

This photo also appears on the Pinterest Dover Town board as:

Dover Police Station, Kent CT16 1DJ, England, United Kingdom

Also see:

Dover Magistrates Court, Pencester Road, Kent, England, CT16 1BS