Police Act 1996

Part I — Organisation of Police Forces

Police areas and police forces

Assaults on constables.

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• (1) England and Wales shall be divided into police areas.

• (2) The police areas referred to in subsection (1) shall be—

• (a) those listed in Schedule 1 (subject to any amendment made to the first column of that Schedule by regulations under section 31A or any amendment made to the second column, or to the first and second columns, by an order under section 32 below, section 45 of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru etc. Act 2013, section 17 of the Local Government Act 1992 or Part 1 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007),

• (b) the metropolitan police district, and

• (c) the City of London police area.

• (3) References in Schedule 1 to any local government area are to that area as it is for the time being, . . .

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Maintenance of police forces

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• (1) A police force shall be maintained for every police area for the time being listed in Schedule 1.

• (2) For further provision about the maintenance of those police forces, see Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.

Establishment of police authorities

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Membership of police authorities etc

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Reductions in size of police authorities

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General functions of police authorities

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Local policing objectives

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Local policing plans

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Annual reports by police authorities

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General functions of chief constables

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Appointment and removal of chief constables

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Assistant chief constables

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Other members of police forces

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• (1) The ranks that may be held in a police force maintained under section 2 shall be such as may be prescribed by regulations under section 50 and the ranks so prescribed shall include, in addition to chief constable , deputy chief constable and assistant chief constable, the ranks of chief superintendent superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, sergeant and constable.

• (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (3) Appointments and promotions to any rank below that of assistant chief constable in any police force maintained under section 2 shall be made, in accordance with regulations under section 50, by the chief constable.

Police fund

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Civilian employees

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Appointment of clerk

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Appointment of persons not employed by police authorities

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Supply of goods and services

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• (1) Subsections (1) to (3) of section 1 of the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970 (c. 39)(supply of goods and services by local authorities)—

• (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (b) shall, in their application to the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as the police authority for the City of London police force , apply with the modification set out in subsection (2).

• (2) The modification is that references in those subsections to a public body shall be read as references to any person.

• (3) The Common Council in its capacity as police authority may not enter into an agreement with another local policing body under section 1 of the 1970 Act in respect of a matter which could be the subject of force collaboration provision in a collaboration agreement .

Approval of decisions about precepts

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Questions on police matters at council meetings

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Application of certain provisions to police authorities

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Reports by chief constables to police authorities

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• (1) The Commissioner of Police for the City of London shall, as soon as possible after the end of each financial year, submit to the Common Council a general report on the policing during that year of the City of London police area.

• (2) The chief constable shall arrange for a report submitted by him under subsection (1) to be published in such manner as appears to him to be appropriate.

• (3) The Commissioner of Police for the City of London shall, whenever so required by the Common Council, submit to the Common Council a report on such matters as may be specified in the requirement, being matters connected with the policing of the City of London police area.

• (4) A report submitted under subsection (3) shall be in such form as the Common Council may specify.

• (5) If it appears to the Commissioner of Police for the City of London that a report in compliance with subsection (3) would contain information which in the public interest ought not to be disclosed, or is not needed for the discharge of the functions of the Common Council, he may request the Common Council to refer the requirement to submit the report to the Secretary of State; and in any such case the requirement shall be of no effect unless it is confirmed by the Secretary of State.

• (6) The Common Council may arrange, or require the chief officer to arrange, for a report submitted under subsection (3) to be published in such manner as appears to the Common Council to be appropriate.

• (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Collaboration agreements

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• (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (2) Force collaboration provision may, in particular, consist of provision—

• (a) for the joint discharge of functions by members of police forces;

• (b) for members of a police force to discharge functions in another force's area;

• (c) for members of a police force to be provided to another force.

• (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (4) A collaboration agreement may provide for a member of a police force, or a civilian employee, to be under the direction and control of a chief officer specified in or determined in accordance with the agreement.

• (5) A chief officer may make a collaboration agreement only if the chief officer thinks that the agreement is in the interests of the efficiency or effectiveness of one or more police forces.

• (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aid of one police force by another

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• (1) The chief officer of police of any police force may, on the application of the chief officer of police of any other police force, provide constables or other assistance for the purpose of enabling the other force to meet any special demand on its resources.

• (2) If it appears to the Secretary of State to be expedient in the interests of public safety or order that any police force should be reinforced or should receive other assistance for the purpose of enabling it to meet any special demand on its resources, and that satisfactory arrangements under subsection (1) cannot be made, or cannot be made in time, he may direct the chief officer of police of any police force to provide such constables or other assistance for that purpose as may be specified in the direction.

• (3) While a constable is provided under this section for the assistance of another police force he shall, notwithstanding sections sections 2 and 4 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”), be under the direction and control of the chief officer of police of that other force.

• (3A) While a member of the civilian staff of a police force maintained under section 2, or a member of the civilian staff of the metropolitan police force, is provided under this section for the assistance of another police force, that member of staff is, notwithstanding section 2 or 4 of the 2011 Act, under the direction and control of the chief officer of police of that other force.

• (4) The local policing body maintaining a police force for which assistance is provided under this section shall pay to the local policing body maintaining the force from which that assistance is provided such contribution as may be agreed upon between those bodies or, in the absence of any such agreement, as may be provided by any agreement subsisting at the time between all local policing bodies generally, or, in the absence of such general agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

• (4A) This section shall apply in relation to the British Transport Police Authority, the British Transport Police Force and the Chief Constable of that Force as it applies to a local policing body , a police force and a chief officer of police respectively; and for that purpose the reference in subsection (3) to sections 2 and 4 of the 2011 Act shall be construed as including a reference to section 24(2) of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.

• (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Provision of special services

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• (1) The chief officer of police of a police force may provide, at the request of any person, special police services at any premises or in any locality in the police area for which the force is maintained, subject to the payment to the local policing body of charges on such scales as may be determined by that body.

• (1A) The Chief Constable of the British Transport Police Force may provide special police services at the request of any person, subject to the payment to the British Transport Police Authority of charges on such scales as may be determined by that Authority.

• (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Provision of advice and assistance to international organisations etc

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• (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a local policing body may provide advice and assistance—

• (a) to an international organisation or institution, or

• (b) to any other person or body which is engaged outside the United Kingdom in the carrying on of activities similar to any carried on by the body or the chief officer of police for its area.

• (2) The power conferred on a local policing body by subsection (1) includes a power to make arrangements under which a member of the police force maintained by the body is engaged for a period of temporary service with a person or body within paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection.

• (3) The power conferred by subsection (1) shall not be exercised except with the consent of the Secretary of State or in accordance with a general authorisation given by him.

• (4) A consent or authorisation under subsection (3) may be given subject to such conditions as appear to the Secretary of State to be appropriate.

• (5) Nothing in this section authorises a local policing body to provide any financial assistance by—

• (a) making a grant or loan,

• (b) giving a guarantee or indemnity, or

• (c) investing by acquiring share or loan capital.

• (6) A local policing body may make charges for advice or assistance provided by it under this section.

• (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (8) The provisions of this section are without prejudice to the Police (Overseas Service) Act 1945 . . . .

Special constables

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• (1) The chief officer of police of the police force maintained for a police area may, in accordance with regulations under section 51, appoint special constables for that area.

• (2) Subject to provision included in a collaboration agreement by virtue of section 23(4), section 24(3) and regulations under section 51, all special constables appointed for a police area shall be under the direction and control of, and subject to dismissal by, the chief officer of police.

Police cadets

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• (1) The chief officer of police of a police force may, in accordance with regulations under section 52, appoint persons as police cadets to undergo training with a view to becoming members of that police force.

• (2) Subject to regulations under section 52, all police cadets shall be under the control of, and subject to dismissal by, the chief officer of police.

• (3) Accordingly, for the purposes of any enactment relating to the functions of employers and of any rule of law with respect to the vicarious liability of employers, the chief officer of a police force shall be treated as the employer of any police cadets undergoing training with the force.

• (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Attestation of constables

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Every member of a police force maintained for a police area and every special constable appointed for a police area shall, on appointment, be attested as a constable by making a declaration in the form set out in Schedule 4—

• (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (b) . . . before a justice of the peace having jurisdiction within the police area.

Jurisdiction of constables

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• (1) A member of a police force shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable throughout England and Wales and the adjacent United Kingdom waters.

• (2) A special constable shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable throughout England and Wales and the adjacent United Kingdom waters.

• (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (3A) A member of the British Transport Police Force who is for the time being required by virtue of section 22A to serve with a police force maintained by a local policing body shall have all the powers and privileges of a member of that police force.

• (3B) Where a member of the British Transport Police Force is for the time being under the direction and control of the chief officer of another police force by virtue of a collaboration agreement under section 22A, the member shall have all the powers and privileges of a member of that other force.

• (3C) In subsection (3B), “police force” and “chief officer” have the meanings given by section 23I.

• (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (5) In this section—

• powers includes powers under any enactment, whenever passed or made;

• “United Kingdom waters” means the sea and other waters within the seaward limits of the territorial sea;

and this section, so far as it relates to powers under any enactment, makes them exercisable throughout the United Kingdom waters whether or not the enactment applies to those waters apart from this provision.

• (6) This section is without prejudice to—

• (a) sections 98 and 99 below, and

• (b) any other enactment conferring powers on constables for particular purposes.

Rewards for diligence

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• (1) The chief constable of a police force maintained under section 2 may grant to members of that police force rewards for exceptional diligence or other specially meritorious conduct.

• (2) The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis may grant to members of the metropolitan police force rewards for exceptional diligence or other specially meritorious conduct.

• (3) The Common Council may, on the recommendation of the Commissioner of Police for the City of London, grant out of the City of London police fund to members of the City of London police force rewards for exceptional diligence or other specially meritorious conduct.

Alteration of police areas

Power to alter police areas by order

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• (1) The Secretary of State may by order make alterations in police areas in England and Wales other than the City of London police area.

• (2) The alterations that may be made by an order under this section include alterations that result in a reduction or an increase in the number of police areas, but not alterations that result in the abolition of the metropolitan police district.

• (3) The Secretary of State shall not exercise his power under this section to make alterations unless either—

• (a) he has received a request to make the alterations from the local policing body for each of the areas ... affected by them, or

• (b) it appears to him to be expedient to make the alterations in the interests of efficiency or effectiveness.

• (4) The Secretary of State shall exercise his power to make orders under this section in such a way as to ensure that no police area falls partly in England and partly in Walesand that none of the following areas—

• (a) a county in which there are no district councils,

• (b) a district in any other county,

• (c) a county borough in Wales, and

• (d) a London borough,

is divided between two or more police areas.

• (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Objections to alterations proposed by Secretary of State

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• (1) Before making an order under section 32 by virtue of subsection (3)(b) of that section, the Secretary of State shall give notice of his proposal to—

• (a) the local policing body for every area ... that he proposes to alter,