Much More than Police

A new book follows the evolving responsibilities of policing in Newfoundland through the tumultuous final decades of the former British colony and dominion. Much More than Police covers the period from the Newfoundland Constabulary’s founding in 1871 to its contraction following Newfoundland’s Confederation with Canada in 1949. 

Author Terry Carlson draws on his years as the executive director of Newfoundland and Labrador’s John Howard Society, along with extensive research of criminal-justice history, to present the force’s law-enforcement work alongside its contributions to social services. 

Through extensive use of archival materials — including colonial office records, police reports, and government documents — Carlson traces the constabulary’s history in the context of Newfoundland’s shifting political and social conditions. His book also incorporates police diaries that offer perspectives on the work of ordinary constables and the challenges they faced both in the urban centre of St. John’s and in rural outport communities. 

The stories he tells about individual members of the force include Henry Humber’s time as the sole constable of the town of Botwood during the Prohibition era. In addition to searching for moonshine, Humber found himself with responsibilities that ranged from fumigating households stricken with diphtheria to trawling the waters in search of a drowned man. 

Filled with informative tables and contemporary photos, and based on comprehensive research, Carlson’s book shows readers that the work of the Newfoundland Constabulary went far beyond policing.