Non-emergency contact information for
Port of Dover Police

About Port of Dover Police

The Port of Dover Police is owned, operated and funded by the Port Authority, Dover Harbour Board. The Port of Dover Police do not receive any public funding.

As a non-Home Office Police force, the PoDP do not have a 'police area' as such. Kent Police have responsibility for policing the whole of Kent, including the Port of Dover. However, the Dover Harbour Board choose to fund their own police force to cover the Port area only. There may be occasions when Kent Police would seek our assistance in dealing with local issues, but the jurisdiction of PoDP restricts the area in which their Constables can operate (1 mile from the property of Dover Harbour Board, which is extended in certain circumstances to cover Port related incidents).

PoDP Officers are nominated and appointed as 'special constables' under section 79 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers clauses Act of 1847.

The Port of Dover consists mainly of commercial properties, office space, warehousing and assembly parks. There are a very small number of privately rented properties. There aren't any schools, places of worship, care homes, supermarkets, sporting arena, public houses or nightclubs.

The PoDP do not operate custody facilities. Any prisoners would be taken to the nearest available designated police station within Kent.

The Head of Policing for the Port of Dover Police is Inspector Gary Clark. Strategic direction is given to the department by Dover Harbour Board Senior Management Team.

As of January 2020, there were 41 members of staff, made up of:

• 1 x Police Inspector
• 6 x Police Sergeants (including 1 Sergeant with full-time oversight of port security)
• 33 x Police Constables (including 4 part-time officers)
• 1 x Police Administrator