Chief Constable Hugh Chisholm was the first Chief Officer of Sutherland to retire on pension, which he did on 15 May 1933, at the age of 70 years. He had been Chief Constable for 27 of his 50 years Police Service. His departure must have been flagged well in advance, as the Police Committee were able to have his successor appointed prior to his retiral.

Douglas George Ross was the man chosen to lead the Sutherland Constabulary. Despite his Scottish name, he had been born in England, at Ramsgate in Kent on 6 April 1897.

After active service with the Royal Scots between 1915 and 1919, he had been appointed to City of Manchester Police in 1920. He then transferred to Edinburgh City Police in 1922, and there rose through the ranks to Superintendent.

So, aged 37 years and with 13 years Police Service, he took over at Dornoch on 5th May 1933. His starting salary was £400 per annum, which rose by £20 every second year until 1939.

Mr Ross's family appear to have set some kind of a record in that three members of his family were Chief Constables at the same time.

Roderick Ross, Chief Constable of the City of Edinburgh, from 1900 to 1935, was Douglas Ross's father. Douglas's brother was Donald Ross, who was Chief Constable of Argyll from 1927 to 1961. Roderick Ross incidentally bore a remarkable resemblance to King Edward VII.

Note: There is NO known relationship between this family of Rosses and that of Douglas Ross's successor at Dornoch, Mr Kenneth Ross (son of PC Alexander Ross, of the Sutherland Constabulary 1904 - 1937). That assurance came from Kenneth Ross’s sister, who also informed the author that Roderick Ross CVO CBE KPM, Chief constable of the City of Edinburgh was believed to have been born at Helmsdale.

He indeed was - at West Helmsdale - and was a grandson of a crofter & Army Pensioner who had been evicted from the Strath of Kildonan.

By 1940 the population of the County had dropped by 4,000 to 16,100 in 28 years, although the land area had apparently grown by about 90,000 acres to 1,297,908.

Police Stations which were operational in that year comprised:

Bettyhill Bonar Bridge Brora (Sgt) Dornoch Golspie Helmsdale Lairg Lochinver Melvich Rhiconich Rogart and Tongue

The Stations at Durness, Rosehall and Stoer Assynt had closed in the period between the wars, while Rogart had opened. Police establishment remained at its 1935 level of 18.

In 1940 the authorised strength for neighbouring forces stood at:

Caithness-shire 24 (up 3 from 1935, to return to its 1912 level) 
Ross & Cromarty 55 (up 6, and now 2 above its 1912 level)
Inverness Burgh 34 (up 2 from 1935 - total increase of 30% since 1912) 
Inverness-shire 63 (up 3 from 1935, to return to its 1912 level)

Inspector James Adamson Thom was now the Deputy Chief Constable. A native of Findhorn in Morayshire, and an electrician to trade, he had joined the force on 14 September 1926 aged 24. His record shows no transfers (not necessarily conclusive proof of permanency at Dornoch, given the history of omissions in the Record book!) He was promoted to Sergeant, apparently at Headquarters on 5 January 1938 and then to Inspector on 8 June 1939. As Sergeant he received a wage of £5 per week, and when made Inspector (and DCC) he merited a salary of £300 per annum. That was an increase of only £40 - or less than £1 extra per week for all the added responsibility.

Telephone numbers were now being quoted, the Force Headquarters Office being “Dornoch 23”. Bettyhill and Lochinver seemed not to be ‘on line’ but Bonar Bridge (222) Brora 222), Golspie (41), Helmsdale (30), Lairg (19), Melvich (205), Rhiconich (203), Rogart (13), and Tongue (222) were. (Source: Police & Constabulary Almanac 1940)

Douglas Ross continued as Chief Constable for 29 years, when he retired and took his pension on 5th April 1962, the day before his 65th birthday.

Plans were already afoot to merge the Sutherland Constabulary with its neighbouring Force, Ross-shire, to form the Ross & Sutherland Constabulary.

Despite that, recruitment of a replacement Chief Constable went ahead. Where other such instances have arisen in recent times, such a situation has not have been permitted, and ad interim the Deputy Chief Constable would be appointed Acting Chief Constable for the period up until amalgamation. This

could not happen in Sutherland, since Inspector (and DCC) Thom would retire on 1 November 1962, on reaching the age of 60.

The County of Sutherland appointed Kenneth Ross, BL, (then serving in the Renfrew & Bute Constabulary as a Chief Inspector) as its last Chief Constable, and he took up his appointment with effect from 6 April 1962. He went on to be the first (and only) Chief Constable of the Ross & Sutherland Constabulary, when that new force was formed on 16 May 1963. The force merged into Northern Constabulary on regionalisation on 16th April 1975.