Durham Constabulary has been in existence since December 1839, just over ten years after Sir Robert Peel formed the Metropolitan Police in London.
The first Chief Constable was Major James Wemyss who had served as a staff officer at the Battle of Waterloo. He was paid £250 a year.
The current geographic boundaries date back to local government reorganisation of 1974.
The operational structure of the force has undergone a number of reviews and a full re-structure was implemented in 2011.
Durham Constabulary is led by Chief Constable Jo Farrell and her executive team
The Force is split into seperate distinct Commands, providing efficient and dedicated management of resources
Durham Constabulary's 1,151 officers are supported by more than 1,000 members of police staff
The Force supports multiple Specialist Units to handle specialist scenarios