Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000

4 Police support staff

(1) The Board may, subject to the following provisions of this section, employ persons to assist the police.

(2) Senior employees shall be appointed by the Board—

(a) with the approval of the Secretary of State and after consultation with the Chief Constable; and

(b) on such terms and conditions as the Board may, with the approval of the Secretary of State, determine.

(3) Other employees shall be appointed by the Board with the approval of the Secretary of State as to terms and conditions.

(4) The Board may make arrangements for administrative, secretarial or other assistance to be provided for the police by persons employed in the civil service.

(5) The following functions of the Board shall be exercised, on behalf of and in the name of the Board, by the Chief Constable—

(a) the power to direct and control senior employees of the Board and all other powers and duties of the Board as employer of such employees, other than the power to appoint and dismiss;

(b) the power to appoint and dismiss other employees, the power to direct and control such employees and all other powers and duties of the Board as employer of such employees;

(c) the power to direct and control persons providing assistance to the police in pursuance of arrangements under subsection (4).

(6) Persons who—

(a) are employed by the Board under this section, or

(b) are engaged in pursuance of arrangements under subsection (4) in providing assistance to the police,

are referred to in this Act as the “police support staff”.

(7) In this section and section 5 “senior employee” means an employee of such class or description as may be specified for the purposes of this section by the Board with the approval of the Secretary of State.