Thames Valley Police are celebrating 50 years of crime prevention writes Daniel Blackham.

The police force, which covers Bracknell, Wokingham, Ascot, and the rest of Berkshire, turned 50 years-old on Easter Sunday.

Thames Valley Constabulary, formed on April 1 1968, was divided into five forces: Reading Borough Police, Berkshire Constabulary, Buckinghamshire Constabulary, Oxford City Police, and Oxfordshire Constabulary.

In 1970, it was renamed Thames Valley Police, a name it has stuck with ever since.

To celebrate the anniversary, the force is putting on a series of charitable events, with an emphasis on the history of the force.

On August 18, the force will be hosting an open day, which will focus on how much has changed over the past 50 years.

At some point during the year, forces will also be doing a sponsored walk along the stretch of the Thames Path. This will cover 26 miles and enters into all three counties of the force: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.

Any funds raised through the events held through the year will go towards the chosen charities of the year: The Police Dependants’ Trust and MIND.

Chief Constable Francis Habgood said: “Thames Valley is an incredible place to police and I love working here. We have over 2.3 million residents in our force area and about six million visitors. It is the largest non- metropolitan force in the country.

“I have been in policing for over 30 years and the rate of change has accelerated massively. Our core principles remain the same: protecting the public, investigating crime, preventing crime but the landscape is now more complex and we need to make sure we continue to stay ahead of this challenge.

“I feel proud and privileged to be leading the service as we hit this milestone anniversary.”