By the authority of the Metropolitan Police Act 1860, which received the Royal Assent on August 28th 1860, the Metropolitan Police Force were empowered to take over duties at Naval Dockyards and at other military establishments.  It should be mentioned that they were not employed by the Admiralty but by the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis. 

Thus at midnight on Saturday October 20th 1860 the Dockyard Police Force signed off and one minute later, on Sunday October 21st 1860, the Metropolitan Police Force took over the guardianship of the Royal Dockyard and the Keyham Steam Yard.  It is thought that they took over at the Royal Naval Hospital and the Royal William Victualling Yard in East Stonehouse at the same time.  Lieutenant Moore, chief of the Dockyard Police, vacated his official residence and office inside the Dockyard and was succeeded by Mr Bray, formerly the chief of police in the House of Lords.

The Metropolitan Police Force was divided in to two classes, one of which got 19 shillings per week, the other 21 shillings.  Every Constable compulsorily contributed four and a half pence to a fund which gave back £29 per annum to every man who retired after 15 years' service.  The Dockyard Police Force's pension for the same period was only £13 8s per year.  The principle difference between the two Forces, however, was that the members of the Metropolitan Force were liable to be sent to other establishments elsewhere in the country.

On Wednesday January 23rd 1861 the Metropolitan Police Commissioners sent the following Special Order to all establishments under its control: 'The careful inspection by the police, after the workmen leave the yard, of all ships building, repairing, etc., forms so important a part of police duty in dockyards that the following special order is issued on  the subject, and superintendents of dockyard divisions are held responsible that it is strictly observed, a certificate to this effect being inserted in the report laid before the Admiral or Captain Superintendent each morning, viz: -- "Two visits are to be made to all ships building, repairing, etc.; after the workmen leave the yard careful observation is to be made, and should any chips, shavings, oakum, or other things easily combustible be left lying about, such neglect is to be reported to the Admiral or Captain Superintendent".'

It should be pointed out that justice was swift in those days.  The Admiral-Superintendent was made a Magistrate so that accused workmen could be brought before him on a daily basis and punishment served there and then.

After the Great War the British Government had a huge debt problem.  They asked Sir Eric Campbell Geddes (1875-1937), a prominent Conservative businessman, to look at the problem and recommend solutions.  He formed the Committee on National Expenditure and one of their decisions was to cut the defence budget by 42%.  They recommended that the Metropolitan Police be withdrawn from Dockyards and replaced by a new, cheaper alternative.  The Royal Marine Police was created by an Order in Council dated Friday October 13th 1922, as a result of which the Royal Marine Artillery and Royal Marine Light Infantry were amalgamated on June 22nd 1923 and the Royal Marine Police formed from their members.