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                                                         The Police History Society Award was established in                                                              order to recognise significant contributions in the field                                                        of police history.  The award is made as a formal                                                                  recognition of activities undertaken which are in keeping                                                      with the aims of the Society.
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                                                     A nomination will be considered eligible for the award if                                                       the Awards Committee are satisfied it meets the                                                                   following criteria:

 

  • The nominator(s) present(s) a clear written statement, in no more than 300 words, supporting the view that the work of the nominee meets one or more aims of the Police History Society either wholly or in part.

  • The aims of the Society are to:

  • act as a focal point and network for all who are interested in police history;

  • promote interest in police history as a subject by:

    • occasional talks and meetings;

    • encouraging research into all aspects of police history; and

    • publishing the useful results of such research;

  • encourage the preservation of relevant police archives and artefacts and to promote their accessibility to the general public;

  • produce newsletters, journals and other publications;

  • provide grants for approved research into and publications relating to police history;

  • forge and maintain strategic links with relevant academic institutions;

  • maintain a register of police museums and archives and their curators or keepers; and

  • maintain a register of specialist interests and expertise within the broad subject of police history.

 

  • The nomination must be received by the Secretary by 30th April of the year in which the award is being made, i.e., if it is for 2025, it must be received by 30th April 2025.

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Previous Award Winners

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2024 Alan Moss and Keith Skinner

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Our annual award for outstanding contribution to police history was awarded jointly to Alan Moss and Keith Skinner.  Alan, a Classics graduate from Durham served as a Metropolitan Police officer for 30 years, retiring as a Chief Superintendent in 1997. He was involved in planning for a Metropolitan Police Museum at Bow Street and has made a number of TV appearances about police history.   Keith started his professional life as an actor in cinema and on television in 1966, playing a wide variety of roles from Shakespeare to popular 1970s TV series, such as Man at The Top and Z-Cars, before becoming an historical researcher. He has worked as a historical researcher and consultant for a number of documentaries relating to Jack the Ripper. Both Alan and Keith have been stalwarts in driving forward the history of the largest Police Force in the country, the Metropolitan Police. In addition to jointly running the website, www.historybytheyard.co.uk , they are the

co-authors of a number of books relating to the history of the Metropolitan Police.

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2023 Bob Bartlett

 

As well as being one of the three founders of the PHS, Bob’s service on the Committee consisted of the following posts: Treasurer 1985-87.  Journal Editor (and contributor) 1985-92.  Committee member 1992-94

He gave a presentation on “The concept of minimum force” at our 1987 conference and has since written half a dozen articles for the Journal

He set up and runs the Surrey Constabulary history website at https://www.surrey-constabulary.com/

Bob expressed this appreciation, stating how important he felt it to be that officers’ records should be lodged in perpetuity to ensure that their work is never forgotten.

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2022 Martin Stallion

Martin was one of the original founders of the PHS in 1985.  He was the membership secretary from 1986 to 1990, the secretary 1990 to 1996 and from 2013 to 2019,  and the newsletter editor from 2004 to 2007.   He has completed countless bibliographies relating to policing as well as the monograph on chief officers until 2012, published by the Society. He continues to support and advise on police heritage.

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2021 Clive Emsley (posthumously)

Prof Emsley was our academic adviser since the inception of the Society in 1985 until his passing in 2020. 

His contribution to the advancement and study of policing history is quite possibly unparalleled, and the committee's decision to award him with this was unanimous.

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2020 David Taylor (posthumously)

David had a long and distinguished career in policing – serving in the Military Police and then rising through the ranks to Superintendent in Essex. David had been a member of the Society since the
mid-1980s and had served on the committee for 5 years. 

He is remembered with respect and high regard, as a lovely and gentle man, who held a real passion for Police History.

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