On May 20th 1834 the Admiralty disbanded the Porters, Rounders, Warders and Watchmen and created the Dockyard Police Force instead.  This also covered the Royal Naval Hospital and the Royal William Victualling Yard at East Stonehouse.  The Force at the Dockyard only comprised the Director of Police; 4 Inspectors; 13 Sergeants; and 94 Constables.  They were provided with a uniform of blue frock coat with silver buttons, a stove-pipe hat, dark trousers for winters and white duck ones for the summer, and a truncheon embellished with the Sovereign's Coat of Arms and the officer's number.

However, things did not look good for the Dockyard Police Force at Devonport when during an inquiry by Superintendent Mallalieu of the Metropolitan Police, the Chief Constable of the Devonport Borough Police Force stated that according to his records during the past five years there had been 47 cases of stealing and unlawful possession of Government stores of which 28 were detected by his Force and only 19 by the Dockyard Police Force.

It was revealed that at that time a Constable in the Dockyard Police Force was paid 21 shillings, that is £1 1 shilling, per week, and unless previously incapacitated by injury or sickness, he could retire at 60 years of age.   If at that time he had served for 40 years then his pension would have been worth two thirds of full pay.  They had to serve a minimum of ten years to be eligible for any pension at all.

Unsurprisingly, in view of the statement by the Chief Constable of the Devonport Borough Police Force referred to above, the Dockyard Police Force was disbanded and replaced by the Metropolitan Police Force.  Thus at midnight on Saturday October 20th 1860 the Dockyard Police 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 at East Stonehouse at the same time.