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Law and Order in Goffs Oak
Created 21 June, 2008
The story of law and order as we know it didn't really start in our area until 1839 when the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829, introduced by Robert Peel (who was Home Secretary at the time), was extended.
The area to be covered by the Metropolitan Police "to be within 15 miles of Charing Cross" which included Cheshunt and of course Goffs Oak. Before that time, the system widely used during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was for one unarmed able-bodied citizen in each parish to be appointed or elected annually as the Parish Constable to serve for one year unpaid, although it seems he did work on commission for miscreants apprehended. He was responsible to the local Justice of the Peace and his job was to enforce observance of the law and maintain the peace in the parish.
The population drift to the towns with arrival of the industrial revolution showed the system to be a complete failure and impotent as a law enforcement machine.
A serious situation which led to the 1829 Act. From the very beginning for administrative purposes Goffs Oak was regarded as part of Cheshunt which in turn was administered by an Inspector based in Enfield Highway whose area of responsibility covered New Southgate, Enfield, Waltham Abbey and the War Department Police at Enfield Lock.
At the end of the 19th century the possibility of the railway coming sparked some building, which included a police station. In 1895 two houses were built; the right hand one had cells attached and still has 'Police' carved over the door. However the railway never came and bearing in mind that the population of the village was still well under 1000 it was decided that as there was little need for a police station, the houses would therefore be used for police accomodation. Goffs Oak would be served by one sergeant and one constable based at Turners Hill.
The next major change which affected Goffs Oak was the Local Government Act of 1963 when the police boundaries were changed to coincide with those of the local authorities. One result was the the opening in 1965 of a station in Goffs Oak, which remained until 1971, manned by a Sergent and four constables. Following a reorganisation in 1971 both houses were subsequently sold and are now private residences. Responsibility for Goffs Oak went to the present station in Cheshunt which remained with the Metropolitan Police until Hartfordshire Constabulary took over in April 2000.
Hertfordshire Constabulary covers 632 square miles and has over 2,000 Officers to police a population of over a million people. For administration purposes it is divided into three. Goffs Oak is in the Eastern Region which covers by far the largest part of the County with 11 stations; Royston is the North and Cheshunt in the South. The HQ is in Welwyn Garden City.