The Zambia Police Force in its current form has a very rich background. It is important to note that once upon a time, the responsibility of maintaining law and order was shouldered on the Northern Rhodesia Police Force from which the Northen Rhodesia Regiment, now the Zambia Army, originated.

The evolution of the Zambia Police Force is associated with the expansion of economic interests to the land north of the Zambezi river by the British South African Company(BSA), a privately owned enterprise which had its headquarters in South Africa. The main economic interest of BSA was to aquire mining rights in Northern Rhodesia and the first contact was with the Paramount Chief of Barotseland.

Chief Executive Officer of BSA, Cecil Rhodes sent an officer from Bechuanaland Police by the name of Lochner to negotiate a concession with authorities of Barotseland.The BSA Company was granted a charter in 1811 to expand its activities over the territory north of the Zambezi river. During this period, there was growing influence of German expansion from Tanganyika and the threat of slave trading by the Arabs in the north. This prompted Cecil Rhodes to expand the influence of the BSA in the land north of the Zambezi River. Northern Rhodesia was divided into two regions, the North Eastern Rhodesia and Northwestern Rhodesia. In order to accomplish the business mandate, the BSA organised armed forces comprising officers seconded from British regiment which was based in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.

The evolution of the Zambia Police is associated with the events that took place in the divided areas of North-Eastern Rhodesia and North-Western Rhodesia.