Police Act 1996

General provisions E+W

22 Reports by chief constables to police authorities. E+W

(1) Every chief constable shall, as soon as possible after the end of each financial year, submit to the police authority a general report on the policing during that year of the area for which his force is maintained.

(2) A 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 chief constable of a police force shall, whenever so required by the police authority, submit to that authority a report on such matters as may be specified in the requirement, being matters connected with the policing of the area for which the force is maintained.

(4) A report submitted under subsection (3) shall be in such form as the police authority may specify.

(5) If it appears to the chief constable 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 police authority, he may request that authority 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 police authority may arrange, or require the chief constable to arrange, for a report submitted under subsection (3) to be published in such manner as appears to the authority to be appropriate.

(7) This section shall apply in relation to the City of London police force as if for references to a chief constable there were substituted references to the Commissioner.

23 Collaboration agreements. E+W

(1) If it appears to the chief officers of police of two or more police forces that any police functions can more efficiently or effectively be discharged by members of those forces acting jointly, they may, with the approval of the police authorities which maintain those forces, make an agreement for that purpose.

(2) If it appears to any two or more police authorities that any premises, equipment or other material or facilities can with advantage be provided jointly for the police forces maintained by those authorities, they may make an agreement for that purpose.

(3) Any expenditure incurred under an agreement made under this section shall be borne by the police authorities in such proportions as they may agree or as may, in the absence of agreement, be determined by the Secretary of State.

(4) An agreement under subsection (1) or (2) may be varied or determined by a subsequent agreement.

(5) If it appears to the Secretary of State that an agreement should be made under subsection (1), (2) or (4), he may, after considering any representations made by the parties concerned, direct those parties to enter into such an agreement under those provisions as may be specified in the direction.

(6) The reference in subsection (1) to members of a police force includes a reference to special constables appointed for the area for which that force is maintained.

(7) The provisions of this section shall not prejudice the power of a police authority to act jointly, or co-operate in any other way, with any person where to do so is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of any of the authority’s functions.

[F1 (8) For the purposes of this section, the Service Authority for the National Crime Squad, the National Crime Squad and the Director General of that Squad shall be treated as if they were a police authority, the police force maintained by that authority and the chief officer of police of that force respectively, and the reference in subsection (1) to “police functions” shall include the functions of that Squad.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 23(8) added (31.10.1997) by 1997 c. 50, s. 134(1), Sch. 9 para. 73; S.I. 1997/2390, art. 2(2)(u)

24 Aid of one police force by another. E+W

(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 section 10(1), be under the direction and control of the chief officer of police of that other force.

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

[F2 (5) This section shall apply in relation to the Service Authority for the National Crime Squad, the National Crime Squad and the Director General of that Squad as it applies to a police authority, a police force and a chief officer of police respectively, and accordingly the reference in subsection (3) to section 10(1) shall be construed, in a case where constables are provided by the Director General of the National Crime Squad, as including a reference to section 56(1) of the Police Act 1997.]

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 24(5) added (1.4.1998) by 1997 c. 50, s. 134(1), Sch. 9 para. 74; S.I. 1998/354, art. 2(2)(ay)

25 Provision of special services. E+W

(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 police authority of charges on such scales as may be determined by that authority.

(2) In the application of this section to the metropolitan police force, for the reference in subsection (1) to the police authority there shall be substituted a reference to the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District.

26 Provision of advice and assistance to international organisations etc. E+W

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a police authority 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 authority or the chief officer of police for its area.

(2) The power conferred on a police authority by subsection (1) includes a power to make arrangements under which a member of the police force maintained by the authority 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 police authority 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 police authority may make charges for advice or assistance provided by it under this section.

(7) In its application in relation to the metropolitan police force this section shall apply—

(a) as if the power conferred by subsection (1) were conferred on the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (and accordingly as if the references in subsections (1)(b) and (2) to a police authority were omitted), and

(b) as if in subsection (6) the reference to a police authority were a reference to the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District.

(8) The provisions of this section are without prejudice to the M1 Police (Overseas Service) Act 1945 and section 10 of the M2 Overseas Development and Co-operation Act 1980.

Marginal Citations

M1 9 & 10 Geo. 6 c. 17.

M2 1980 c. 63.

27 Special constables. E+W

(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 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.

28 Police cadets. E+W

(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) Without prejudice to subsection (2), 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 police authority that maintains a police force shall be treated as the employer of any police cadets undergoing training with the force.

(4) In the application of this section to the metropolitan police force, for the reference in subsection (3) to the police authority there shall be substituted a reference to the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District.

29 Attestation of constables. E+W

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) in the case of a member of the metropolitan police force or a special constable appointed for the metropolitan police district, before the Commissioner or an Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and

(b) in any other case, before a justice of the peace having jurisdiction within the police area.

30 Jurisdiction of constables. E+W

(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 in the police area for which he is appointed and, where the boundary of that area includes the coast, in the adjacent United Kingdom waters.

(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2), a special constable appointed for a police area shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable—

(a) in the case of a special constable appointed for a police area other than the City of London police area, in any other police area which is contiguous to his own police area; and

(b) in the case of a special constable appointed for the City of London police area, in the metropolitan police district and in any police area which is contiguous to that district.

(4) A special constable who is for the time being required by virtue of section 23 or 24 to serve with another police force shall have all the powers and privileges of a constable in any area in which special constables appointed for the area for which that force is maintained have those powers and privileges under this section.

(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.

31 Rewards for diligence. E+W

A police authority may, on the recommendation of the chief officer of police, grant out of the police fund to members of the police force maintained by that authority rewards for exceptional diligence or other specially meritorious conduct.