Down the Decades with the British South African Police

The British South Africa Police and its immediate forerunner, the British South Africa Companys Police, was responsible for maintaining law and order in the vast territories between the Limpopo and Zambesi Rivers and the Bechuanaland Protectorate on the West and Portuguese East Africa on the East. These territories became Southern Rhodesia, named after Cecil Rhodes who was the driving force behind the B.S.A. Company. From commencement in 1889 until disbandment in 1980 the B.S.A.P. steadily evolved from a military organisation, the First Line of Defence of Rhodesia, to a modern Police Force. It still maintained the traditions of a Regiment in its discipline and after disbandment the many branches of the Old Comrades organisations world wide of the B.S.A.P. are titled Regimental Associations. This booklet comprises articles from each decade of the Forces existence and illustrates the evolution. At the beginning the horse was the main means of transport and gradually through the 20th century mechanical transport took over and more sophisticated techniques were employed. At the end during the major counter-insurgency operations of the Rhodesian Bush war, aircraft and helicopters were used. Ironically, at the end, there was still a Mounted Unit operational which rendered valuable service. Hopefully, all the articles together give a snapshot of the history of the B.S.A.P.