There are three cathedrals in England which employ constables to keep watch, a tradition that can be traced back to the early 13th century. They are Canterbury Cathedral, York Minster and Liverpool Cathedral.
Constables are few in number, around 50 in England. They are trained, well-resourced, and skilled in ensuring that the cathedrals they serve, their communities, worshippers, and visitors, are kept safe and secure.
Some constables are attested and as such hold the powers and privileges of the said office within a cathedral and its precincts. Even those constables who are not attested have retained a power of arrest under Section 3 of the Ecclesiastical Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860 in respect of disruptive behaviour within a cathedral church.
The Association aims to provide head constables and security managers with opportunities to come together for training and development.
Brother Joseph Hobson Obl. CR is the chief officer of the Cathedral Constables’ Association. He is an Oblate of the Community of the Resurrection (CR).
More information is available from the Association’s website.