The Volvo Amazon was a mid-sized car that was manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars from 1956 to 1970. It was introduced in the United States as the 122S at the 1959 New York International Auto Show .
66-454: The Amazon shared the wheelbase, tall posture and high H-point seating of its predecessor, the PV444/544 , and was offered in two-door sedan, four-door sedan, and five-door wagon body styles — all noted for their ponton styling. In 1959 Volvo became the world's first manufacturer to provide front seat belts as standard equipment — by providing them on all Amazon models, including
132-502: A HMIC report on crime recording found Hampshire Constabulary failed to record, as crime, 40% of incidents, one of the three worst force performances in the country. A subsequent inspection by HMIC in 2018, showed that the overall crime recording rate had significantly increased to 91.3% of reported crimes being recorded as such. The Professional Standards department of the force investigate the majority of complaints made against police. However, details of complaints received are notified to
198-460: A less expensive version of the Amazon, without exterior chrome trim, a passenger-side sunshield or cigarette lighter, and with a three-speed rather than four-speed transmission — available in black with red interior and later white or black with red interior. The newer Volvo 140 was becoming the company's mainstream model, and the last of the four-door 120 saloons were produced in 1967. In 1967 came
264-463: A patrol hub but are not officially confined to any subdivision of Hampshire while at work. The strand also includes call handlers and control room staff who work very closely with the police officers on the ground. This section is filled mostly with skilled and experienced police officers who become highly trained police vehicle response drivers (as not all police officers are trained or allowed to drive with lights and sirens activated). They also make up
330-524: A reputation for being strong and rugged, although the design was considered outdated from early on. The PV also competed successfully, in the American SCCA class but also internationally, with a second-hand PV544 memorably winning the Safari Rally in 1965. No PV 544 were produced in 1966. Last production was October 1965, some were sold in 1966 and titled as such, but last model year is 1965. The PV444
396-501: A retro-reflective chequered blue and white band. Since 2005, the standard yellow and blue retro-reflective battenberg markings , together with the force crest on the bonnet, on all marked, operational vehicles. Aviation support is provided by the National Police Air Service established in 2012. Hampshire Constabulary's former air support unit initially operated an Edgley Optica , G-KATY, as an observation platform in
462-578: A single downdraft carburettor . The power of this engine increased to 44 PS (32 kW) in October 1950, and to 51 PS (38 kW) in October 1955. US models, beginning to appear in early 1956, received an up-rated version called the B14A , which was given twin side-draft 1½ in SU carburetors for a total of 70 hp. Most early US sales were limited to Texas and southern California. American customers also had
528-421: A three-point safety belt in the front seats as standard. In 1962, Volvo introduced a two-door version, a five-door wagon, and the new B18 engine, deleting two-tone paint and upholstery. In 1965 the Amazon color-coordinated embossed vinyl upholstery and door panels became available. The new gearbox selections were the three-speed M30 (briefly offered with an automatic electric clutch), the four-speed M40 and
594-724: A total of 667,791 vehicles. The Amazon sedan's ponton genre , three-box styling was inspired by US cars of the early 1950s, strongly resembling the Chrysler New Yorker sedan and the Chrysler 300C hardtop Coupe. According to designer Jan Wilsgaard , the Amazon's styling was inspired by a Kaiser he saw at the Gothenburg harbour . The Amazon featured strong articulation front to rear, pronounced "shoulders", and slight but visible tailfins . These features became inspiration for Peter Horbury when reconceiving Volvo's design direction with
660-408: A two-piece tailgate, with the lower section folding down to provide a load surface and the upper section that hinged overhead. The vehicle's rear license plate, attached to the lower tailgate, could fold "up" such that when the tailgate was lowered and the vehicle in use, the license plate was still visible. This idea was used by the original 1959 Mini . In recent years a similar arrangement was used on
726-547: A variety of dogs in use across the two counties, working 24-hours a day. The unit, based at the support headquarters at Netley , near Southampton. Dogs are trained in a variety of skills including passive drug searching, searches for firearms, explosives, ammunition, and currency. The dogs are also trained to locate people in a variety of situations. For example, they are able to find people who are trapped in collapsed buildings. Hampshire's firearms units provides suitably trained and equipped officers to respond to incidents involving
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#1732884727432792-491: A white Volvo Amazon 1800 station wagon with a Ruddspeed upgraded engine initially for use as an accident tender, carrying equipment used by the police when attending scenes of road accidents, before transferring onto traffic policing duties alongside the Humber Super Snipe. In total, five white Volvo Amazon station wagons were acquired by Hampshire Constabulary's traffic division, however the purchase of foreign police cars
858-531: Is Donna Jones , of the Conservative Party , who was reelected in May 2024. In 2016, Hampshire Constabulary announced a "new-look policing model" which organised its resources into four functional command sections (known internally as strands), each commanded by a chief superintendent . It also merged the six local policing divisions known as Operational Command Units (OCUs) into three Policing divisions known as
924-519: Is also another section of specialised officers called the Joint Operations Unit, which is a joint unit with Thames Valley Police . This strand has units for handling intelligence , forecasting demand and monitoring police performance. This strand focuses on preventative and community policing . It is organised based on local government, with each local authority area having a "local commander", sometimes shared. These are superintendents for
990-699: Is likely to occur. In other forces MAST is sometimes known as the Territorial Support Group or L2. There are many units that support the above Operational units, which include: the Planning and Policy Unit, The Critical Incident Cadre (which is designed to provide tactical support in the event of any major incident within the force area), the Scientific Services unit (which consists of the Crime Scene Investigators ), Special Branch and both
1056-423: Is slightly above the national average of 172 (159) per 1,000 employees. In that period Hampshire were above national average for complaints concerning 'Neglect or Failure in duty' and 'Oppressive Conduct or Harassment'. Of all complaints received during the period 0% (1%) were discontinued - national average 1% - some 5% (3%) were dispensed - national average 7% - and 6% (5%) were withdrawn - national average 10%). Of
1122-459: The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which is a non-departmental public body responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces throughout England and Wales. The IOPC may choose to manage or supervise investigations conducted into complaints and may conduct the investigations themselves in the most serious cases. The IOPC sets the standards of
1188-755: The M3 , all of the M27 , the M271 and the M275 together with parts of the A3 , A27 , A31 , A34 and A303 . In addition to providing an emergency response to incidents on the road its work is directed towards reducing casualties and offending and in particular at disrupting the activities of travelling criminals. The unit operates from three bases in Hampshire: Havant (near the M27 and M275), Totton (near
1254-620: The M41 with four-speed and overdrive. The M31 gearbox was also introduced in 1961 but was only available that year (a three-speed fully synchronized gearbox with overdrive on both second and third direct gears). Gearbox options on the 121 were the M30, M31 and M40 while gearbox options on the 122S were the M40 and M41 gearboxes. In 1964 the Borg-Warner BW35 three-speed automatic transmission also became available on
1320-566: The P1800 sports car introduced the previous year. This 1.8 L engine had five main bearings. Again single and twin carburettor versions were offered, designated B18A and B18D , respectively. The B18A was a slow seller in the US market since the United States' public prioritised performance over fuel economy. Also in 1962, Volvo changed from 6- to 12-volt electrical systems. In 1963 Volvo began producing
1386-450: The V70 after decades of rectilinear, slab-sided, boxy designs. The Amazon's bodywork was constructed of phosphate-treated steel (to improve paint adhesion) and with heavy use of undercoating and anti-corrosive oil treatment. The station wagon (estate) version was introduced at the 1962 Stockholm Auto Show, and Volvo manufactured 73,000 examples between 1962 and 1969. The Amazon estate featured
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#17328847274321452-458: The 121, the base model with a single carburetor 66 bhp (49 kW) engine, the 122S introduced in 1958 as a performance model equipped with a dual carburetor 85 bhp (63 kW) engine. The Amazon's handbrake location, outboard of the driver's seat, was intended to accommodate subsequent bench seat models with column shift transmissions- these were produced in small numbers and made available to certain export markets. Buyers began to receive
1518-464: The 123GT, which was a Model 130 with high-compression four-cylinder B18 B engine (from the Volvo P1800 ), M41 gearbox, fully reclining seats, front fog and driving lights (on some markets), alternator, fender mounted mirrors, special steering wheel, dash with a shelf and tachometer, and other cosmetic upgrades. In 1967 the 4-door saloon was discontinued due to the introduction of 140-series . In 1969
1584-695: The 544 at their new Canadian Dartmouth/Halifax plant, the first Volvo plant to be located outside of Sweden. The PV544 was also made as an estate (wagon), the Duett , initially designated the P445 and later the P210 . The 544 received incremental mechanical revisions and trim changes until its final production year of 1965. Exactly 440,000 units were built during the 18-year run. The car had so endeared itself to its owners that Volvo ran self-deprecating advertisements in late 1965 and early 1966 imploring PV owners not to be angry with
1650-575: The ARVs as they contain (either upon the AFOs or inside the ARV itself) shields , advanced lifesaving equipment and their firearms which include pistols , carbines incendiary devices and less than lethal options such as Tasers , baton and baton gun . The units have a permanent staff of instructors, administrators and the force armourer, who is responsible for the safe storage, maintenance and record keeping for each of
1716-401: The Amazon, and only the 2-door version was left, since the estate wagon was cancelled. The last Amazon was manufactured on 3 July 1970. Original specifications for the Amazon included the new Volvo B16 engine , a 3-speed manual gearbox (H6) and rear-wheel drive. In 1958 the sport model, Amazon Sport , was released and later the same year the Amazon became the first series produced car with
1782-449: The British market as it did not have Department of Transport approval. Somehow, whereas most North American vehicles would only have lap safety belts until 1968, both driver and passenger got the 'three-point' shoulder belts, a Volvo safety feature. Fortunately, these remained in place for the new owners and doubtless saving many from death and injury from accidents. 1970 was the last year for
1848-703: The Constabulary were 2nd place in Top Employer category. In 2017 the Constabulary were still in the top 100 at 65th (Leicestershire was the top police employer). From 2020 the Constabulary no longer featured in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. The crime fiction writer Graham Hurley draws on his knowledge of Hampshire Constabulary, and in particular Portsmouth CID, for his series of police procedural novels. Set in Portsmouth and revolving around
1914-569: The M271 and M27) and Whitchurch (near the M3 & A34). As part of the programme of sharing resources (and thereby reducing costs) agreed between the two forces in late 2010, Hampshire's Roads Policing Unit commenced joint operations with Thames Valley Police's RPU in January 2012. The combined unit is overseen by the Joint Operations Unit. Hampshire Constabulary acquired its first two dogs in 1959. The force now has
1980-653: The Northern, Eastern and Western areas. This reorganisation fundamentally changed how the force operated at all levels which lead to it introducing a "borderless" model for response teams, rather than it being operationally confined to smaller districts as it was in the days of Operational Command Units (OCUs) . The aim is to make sure that the nearest police unit is always sent to an incident. The core policing activities are organised into four Operational Command sections: Intelligence, Tasking and Development, Prevention and Neighbourhoods, Response and Patrol and Investigations. There
2046-550: The Serious Organised Crime and Major Crime units. Police officers wear operational and formal dress uniforms similar to other police forces in the United Kingdom. When on duty, frontline police officers wear a black, wicking T-shirt with the word 'Police' on the sleeves, and black uniform trousers. Hampshire officers no longer use the traditional police jumper, having favoured a black fleece with 'Police' written on
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2112-567: The borough forces of Newport and Ryde. Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth continued to have independent police forces. In 1914 the Special Constabulary started to perform regular duties 'for the continuous preservation of order during the war'. Prior to this Special Constables were only called up to assist at major events and riots. In 1943, as part of the Defence (Amalgamation of Police Forces) Regulations 1942, Hampshire County Constabulary
2178-455: The chest and back. Officers are required to wear a stab vest whilst on patrol. In addition, officers carry TETRA digital radios, Body Worn Video, rigid handcuffs, incapacitant spray , the ASP 21" collapsible baton , leg restraints, a resuscitation mask and a basic first aid kit. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary uses a wide selection of vehicles for their individual capabilities and
2244-485: The company's future. A raw materials shortage during the war drove home the point that an automobile should be smaller, and also complicated Volvo's ability to mass-produce the product. In 1944, when the car was finally introduced to a car-hungry public, response was very positive and orders poured in from the Swedish population. It was another three years though, until 1947, before series production began. The PV quickly earned
2310-682: The company. The Duett's utility allowed Volvo to continue the wagon's production through the 1969 model year. These were then replaced in some markets by a high-roof version of the Volvo 145 , called the Express . Hampshire Constabulary The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in South East England . The force area includes Southampton ,
2376-487: The criminal use of firearms through its armed response vehicles (ARV) and tactical teams. The force has ARVs with both police-liveried and unmarked variants - a marked ARV is distinguishable from other police vehicles as it has big and bright coloured asterisk [*] stickers that are displayed on all four corners of the vehicle) and they usually contain two or three police officers that are specially trained authorised firearms officers (AFO). Many tactical options are available to
2442-544: The displacement of the old B18 engine was increased and the engine was called the B20 . Of note: Volvo Cars arriving in Canada at the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia would have the (not-yet-legal) radial tires removed and replaced with bias-ply tires of-the-day before being accepted by DOT for delivery. Also, the European 'Flash-to-Pass' feature of the turn signal toggle would be disconnected for
2508-589: The export models — and later becoming the first car featuring three-point seat belts as standard equipment. When introduced, the car was named the Amason (with an 's'), deriving from the fierce female warriors of Greek mythology, the Amazons . German motorcycle manufacturer Kreidler had already registered the name, and the two companies agreed that Volvo could only use the name domestically (i.e., within Sweden), modifying
2574-510: The first cars in February 1957, and initial models were two-tone red and black with light gray roof, light grey with a black roof, followed by a dark blue with gray roof in 1958. The Volvo Amazon in station wagon form would become the first foreign market police car introduced to any police force of the United Kingdom in 1965. Having trialled it against a Citroën DS19 Safari and Humber Super Snipe station wagon, Hampshire Constabulary purchased
2640-402: The force had 3,748 police officers, 337 PCSOs and 2,424 police staff. The force has reduced its workforce by 23% since 2010, compared to the national average of 15%. This has led to some criticism from various sources around central government funding for the force. Previous results of inspections by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) are published below: In November 2014,
2706-611: The force moved its strategic headquarters to Eastleigh , into a building now shared with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service . At the same time, the force moved its Operational Headquarters to Mottisfont Court in Winchester . The Support & Training Headquarters and control room are located in Netley , near Southampton , in buildings of the former Netley Hospital . The first fully constituted police force formed in Hampshire
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2772-831: The force's firearms. The Marine Unit provides a specialist resource to the force and a policing presence along the 253 miles (407 km) of navigable coastline of the two counties. In addition, the unit is responsible for the investigation of marine incidents and supporting the work of the UK Border Agency, HM Coastguard and the harbour authorities. The unit comprises a sergeant and six constables and has two tactical rigid inflatables, one semi-displacement patrol launch and various land-based patrol vehicles. The ribs and launches are: The Mutual Aid Support Team (MAST), consists of police officers that have taken on further training to deal with less routine incidents such as large scale or more violent public disorder or policing events where it
2838-477: The four police stations with regularly-used custody suites : Each PIC includes specialist departments such as rape investigation teams, child abuse units and major crime teams alongside the Investigation department (formerly CID). This strand also contains special units that are set up to combat particular crime areas such as cyber crime or drug related violence (Operation Fortress). This section consists of
2904-598: The four-door and two-door. From 1967 to 1968 the BW35 was also available on the five-door wagon. [REDACTED] Media related to Volvo Amazon at Wikimedia Commons Volvo PV444 The Volvo PV is a series of two-door, four-passenger car models — the PV444 and the PV544 — made by Volvo from 1947 to 1965. During World War II 's early stages, Volvo decided that a new, smaller car that could deliver good fuel economy would assure
2970-453: The incoming emergency calls and to proactively patrol to prevent and detect crime. Student officers who have successfully completed their training at the Support & Training Headquarters are stationed at one of the patrol hubs initially before undertaking further training with other commands. This strand is the main user of the centralised, borderless model. Officers start and end their shifts at
3036-464: The investigation of complaints against police and also acts as the appeals body in cases where members of the public are dissatisfied with the way in which a police force has handled their complaint. In the period April 2011 to December 2011, complaints and allegations made against officers of Hampshire Constabulary had decreased from the previous year (previous years figures in brackets). Hampshire's overall complaints rate of 181 (206) per 1,000 employees
3102-606: The island was formed in 1837 when the Newport Borough Police was established. A separate Isle of Wight Constabulary was not formed until 1890 when the island was the granted administrative county status. During the 19th century, Hampshire County Constabulary absorbed various borough forces including Basingstoke Borough Police (1836–1889), Romsey Borough Police (1836–1865), Lymington Borough Police (1836–1852) and Andover Borough Police (1836–1846). The Isle of Wight Constabulary likewise absorbed
3168-572: The largest city in South East England , and the naval city of Portsmouth . It also covers the New Forest National Park , sections of the South Downs National Park , large towns such as Basingstoke , Eastleigh , Andover , Fareham and Aldershot , and the historic city of Winchester . The constabulary, as it is currently constituted, dates from 1967, but modern policing in Hampshire can be traced back to 1832. In late 2015,
3234-463: The largest number of Taser carriers in the force who often deal more serious incidents usually involving weapons that are not firearms or an unacceptable level of risk that requires a justifiable use of force. This strand consists of the criminal investigation department and custody staff. The investigation strand is more centralised than before the reorganisation; with its detectives, other officers and police staff investigators (PSIs) being based at
3300-835: The mid-1980s. On 15 May 1985, the aircraft crashed, killing the pilot and police observer. Subsequently, Hampshire operated a fixed wing Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander from the former Royal Naval Air Station at Lee-on-the-Solent . In March 2001, the Islander was replaced by a Britten-Norman Defender 4000 . In 2010, the Air Support Unit was disbanded following a decision to establish a joint South East Air Support Unit with Sussex Police and Surrey Police operating two helicopters. As of March 2017, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has 2,896 police officers, 364 special constables, 304 designated officers, 385 police community support officers and 1,421 police staff. By comparison, in 2010,
3366-423: The option of European delivery, in which case they could also get a cheaper model with the basic B4B engine. By the 1957 model year, engine displacement was increased to 1.6 L and both single downdraft- B16A and twin side-draught carburetted B16B versions were offered. In 1958, the PV544 was phased in. Subtle differences with the PV444 included the introduction of a curved one-piece windshield to replace
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#17328847274323432-410: The requirements of the roles for which they are employed. In 1965, the constabulary purchased four Volvo 121 Amazon estates. This provoked controversy from the public and the government, as until then, all forces had used domestic cars (Austin, Jaguar, MG, Rover, Wolseley). Historically, the force had used a distinctive vehicle paint scheme of retro-reflective red and white diagonal stripes above
3498-403: The site of the first county headquarters, built in 1847. Between 2013 and 2017, a number of police stations were closed and sold, while others had their public facilities closed. The need to reduce costs also led to the formation of a Joint Operations Unit with Thames Valley Police which, during the course of 2012, saw the amalgamation of Roads Policing Units, Training, Firearms and Dog Units of
3564-502: The spelling to Amazon. Subsequently, Volvo began its tri-digit nomenclature and the line became known as the 120 Series . The Amazon was originally manufactured at Volvo's Lundby plant in Gothenburg and subsequently at the company's Torslandaverken plant, which began operating in 1964. By the end of production, 234,653 four-door models, 359,917 two-door models and 73,220 station wagons had been produced, of which 60% were exported; for
3630-603: The tailgate of the Subaru Baja . The Amazon platform was used as the basis for the P1800 and 1800ES. Under prototype designation 1200, following the PV444's internal designation as the 1100, the Amazon was released in the press in February 1956, with production initially set to begin in July of the same year, and deliveries commenced in August 1956 — under the now modified internal designation 120 series. Further iterations included
3696-472: The three unitary authorities ( Southampton , Portsmouth and Isle of Wight ) and chief inspectors for the non-metropolitan districts of Hampshire. The Neighbourhood policing teams (NPTs) are aligned with council wards . It also includes safeguarding units, partnership units and police initiatives such as Hampshire Horsewatch and Countrywatch. This strand makes up the majority of police officers on duty at any given time. Their primary roles are to respond to
3762-514: The total, 13% (11%) of complaints were found to have 'substantiated finding', 3% lower than the national average. The Stonewall Workplace Equality Index is an annual index of UK employers completed by the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) rights charity Stonewall . Through their submissions to Stonewall, Hampshire Constabulary were consistently high performers on the index from 2006 to 2013, scoring no lower than 15th place overall. In 2009 and 2010
3828-461: The two forces. The IT departments of the forces merged in early 2011. In April 2015, Hampshire Constabulary announced a "new-look policing model", beginning a major reorganisation. The chief constable is supported by a deputy chief constable and three assistant chief constables. The force is overseen by an elected police and crime commissioner (PCC) on non-operational matters (i.e. budget and priorities). The current Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC
3894-509: The two panes of flat glass, larger taillights, and a ribbon-type speedometer . The 444's three-speed manual transmission was also supplanted by a four-speed unit in the 544. The interior was modified to accommodate five people instead of four by increasing the width of the back seat and using thinner backrests on the front seats. The next significant change occurred in 1962, when the B16 was replaced by Volvo's new B18 engine , initially developed for
3960-416: The units that are shared with Thames Valley Police . These include the road policing units , training sections, firearms units and dog units of the two forces. The Joint Operations Unit is overseen by an assistant chief constable, who is a joint employee of both forces. The Roads Policing Unit patrol motorways and trunk roads across the two forces' areas. In Hampshire this is made up of large sections of
4026-434: Was Volvo's first unibody car. Its body structure was influenced by the 1939 Hanomag 1.3 litre, which was purchased and studied by Volvo engineers. It was also the first Volvo in almost 20 years to come with a four-cylinder engine (earlier models had used side-valve straight sixes ). The first PV444s were powered by 40 PS 1.4 L inline-four engines designated B4B , with three main bearings, overhead valves, and
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#17328847274324092-574: Was amalgamated with the Isle of Wight and Winchester City Police forces to form the Hampshire Joint Police Force . The two city forces, Southampton City Police and Portsmouth City Police , remained independent. Although this arrangement was originally intended only as a wartime measure, it continued after hostilities ended. In 1948, the merger was made permanent, with Hampshire Joint Police Force being renamed Hampshire Constabulary . The name
4158-498: Was changed once again in 1957, to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary . The Police Act 1964 led to the amalgamation of the city forces (Southampton and Portsmouth) into the Hampshire force. This created a force named Hampshire Constabulary . The last major changes to the police area were in 1974, when the Local Government Act changed a number of local government areas, and the responsibility for policing Christchurch
4224-631: Was the Winchester City Police , founded in 1832. The Hampshire County Constabulary was established seven years later in December 1839 as a result of the passing of the County Police Act that year. Initially the force had a chief constable and two superintendents: one was based in Winchester, and the second based on the Isle of Wight (then part of Hampshire). The first separate police force on
4290-615: Was the subject of local controversy, with letters of complaint written to Hampshire's Chief Constable and in Autocar magazine; Hampshire Constabulary would later find themselves the subject of national controversy and faced heavy criticism by the Home Office for purchasing multiple Volvo 144 saloons for traffic police use. In 1966 the Volvo PV ended production, replaced by the Amazon Favorit,
4356-642: Was transferred to Dorset Police . In November 2022, the force was renamed Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary by Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones. The names of forces that have policed the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight since the nineteenth century are illustrated below: In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,346 and an actual strength of 1,137. The headquarters moved to their current locations in Eastleigh (Strategic HQ) and Winchester (Operational HQ) in 2015. The previous facility in Winchester, close to Winchester Prison sat on
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