List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom, Crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories

Law enforcement
in the United Kingdom
Topics
Equipment
Types of agency
Types of agent
Concepts
Acts
Statutory Instruments

This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom, Crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories. There are a number of agencies that participate in law enforcement in the United Kingdom which can be grouped into three general types:

The majority of law enforcement in the United Kingdom is carried out by territorial police forces that police the general public and their activities. The other types of agencies are concerned with policing of more specific matters.

Over the centuries there has been a wide variation in the number of police forces in the United Kingdom, with a large number now no longer in existence.

National law enforcement

Bodies with police powers

These bodies operate in more than one country of the United Kingdom. The remit of some of the forces is further limited to the areas that they police, such as railway infrastructure. The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 gave the British Transport Police and Ministry of Defence Police a limited, conditional authority to act outside of their primary jurisdiction if the situation requires urgent police action and the local force are not readily available, or if they believe that there is risk to life or limb, or where they are assisting the local force.

Government agencies

Additionally, the following three government agencies are defined in legislation as "special police forces". As these forces are responsible to specific areas of infrastructure, they do not answer to the Home Office, but instead to the government department responsible for the area they police. Both the MDP and BTP do voluntarily submit themselves to HMIC inspection:

Bodies hosted by the Association of Chief Police Officers
Bodies hosted by territorial police forces

Bodies with limited executive powers

These organisations are not police forces but do have similar powers to that of the police with the exception that they cannot arrest a person nor make forceable entry without a warrant; however, police Officers cannot make forceable entry without a warrant either unless pursuing (chasing) a suspect, or responding to an emergency. Obstructing a police officer carries a higher penalty than obstructing other law enforcement officers.

Bodies with solely investigatory powers

The use of investigatory powers is controlled by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Up to 792 public authorities have powers that are restricted by RIPA.[7]

Territorial police forces

Naming

County police forces traditionally bore the name "constabulary" upon their formation (as a derivation of "constable"). The reorganisation of police forces over the years has seen this name dropped in favour of "police" as a name, as many have decided that the word "constabulary" is confusing for people more used to searching for the word "police".[8] However, a number of police forces in the areas overseen by the United Kingdom retain the name "constabulary":

England and Wales

Except in Greater London, each territorial police force covers one or more of the local government areas (counties) established in the 1974 local government reorganisations (although with subsequent modifications), in an area known as a police area. These forces provide the majority of policing services to the public of England and Wales. These forces have been known historically as "Home Office police forces" due to the Acts of Parliament that established them although use of that description was only correct for the Metropolitan Police and in that case ceased to be so when local control was transferred from the Home Office to the Metropolitan Police Authority. Despite the implication of the term, all police forces are independent, with operational control resting solely with the chief officer of each force (the Chief Constable or with regard to the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police forces, their respective Commissioners); each force was overseen by a Police authority until these were replaced by Police and Crime Commissioners in 2012.

The Police Act 1996 is the most recent piece of legislation, which outlines the areas of responsibility for the 43 territorial forces of England and Wales (found in Schedule 1 of the Act).

Constable is the lowest rank in the police service, but all officers, whatever their rank are "constables" in terms of legal powers and jurisdiction. Police officers in territorial police forces in England and Wales derive their jurisdiction from Section 30 of the Police Act 1996. This section outlines that such officers have jurisdiction throughout England and Wales and also the adjacent United Kingdom waters. Special Constables, who are part-time, volunteer officers of these forces, used to have a more limited jurisdiction – limited solely to their own force areas and adjacent forces (collectively, their "constablewick"). Since 1 April 2007, however Special Constables of England & Wales have full police powers throughout those two countries. This means that, in contrast to the majority of countries, all UK volunteer police officers now have exactly the same powers as their full-time colleagues. There are a number of situations in which the jurisdiction of a constable extends to one of the other countries – see the main article for details.

  Police of England and Wales

As of March 2010 police numbers in England and Wales were:[3]

England
  Police of England

As of March 2010 police numbers in England:[3]

Wales
  Police of Wales
  1. Dyfed-Powys Police (Heddlu Dyfed Powys)
  2. Gwent Police (Heddlu Gwent)
  3. North Wales Police (Heddlu Gogledd Cymru)
  4. South Wales Police (Heddlu De Cymru)

As of March 2010 police numbers in Wales were:[3]

Collaborative units

Scotland

Most police powers and functions have been inherited by the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament from the Scottish Office. Areas for which legislative responsibility remains with the UK Government include national security, terrorism, firearms and drugs. The Police (Scotland) Act 1967, as amended, was the basis for the organisation and jurisdiction of the eight former territorial forces in Scotland that were formed in 1975. These forces covered one or more of the areas of the local government regions established in the 1975 local government reorganisation (and since abolished), with minor adjustments to align with the post-1996 council area borders. These forces provided the majority of police services to the public of Scotland, although Scottish police officers also have limited jurisdiction throughout the rest of the United Kingdom as required (See above comments under English and Welsh forces).

In 2011, the Scottish Government announced that it planned to amalgamate the eight territorial forces in Scotland, along with the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, into a single agency. The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, an Act of the Scottish Parliament, codified this amalgamation and brought about the new Police Service of Scotland (to be known as "Police Scotland"). The new force was established on 1 April 2013.

As of December 2012, police numbers in Scotland were:[12]

Police in Scotland do not employ Police Community Support Officers. This includes the British Transport Police who only have PCSOs in England and Wales.

Northern Ireland

County and borough based police forces were not formed in Ireland as they were in Great Britain, with instead a single Royal Irish Constabulary covering most of Ireland (the exceptions being the Dublin Metropolitan Police, which was responsible for policing in Dublin, and the Belfast Town Police force, which was replaced by the RIC in the 1880s). The Royal Ulster Constabulary was formed in 1922 after the establishment of the Irish Free State, and served until the reforms of the police under the terms established initially by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 undertaken by the Patten Commission, which led to the renaming of the RUC in 2001. The Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 sets out the basis for the organisation and function of the police force in the province. Until 2010, police powers were not transferred to the devolved Northern Ireland Executive, unlike Scotland, instead remaining with the Northern Ireland Office. However, in January 2010 agreement was reached between the two largest parties in the Assembly, the DUP and Sinn Féin, over a course that would see them assume responsibility for policing and justice from April.[13]

As of April 2007 police numbers in Northern Ireland were:[3]

Police in Northern Ireland do not employ Police Community Support Officers

Miscellaneous police forces

These police forces generally come under the control of a local authority, public trusts or even private companies; examples include some ports police and the Mersey Tunnels Police. They could have been established by individual Acts of Parliament or under common law powers. Jurisdiction is generally limited to the relevant area of private property alone and in some cases (e.g. docks and harbours) the surrounding area. This, together with the small size of the police forces, means they are often reliant on the territorial force for the area under whose jurisdiction they fall to assist with any serious matter. The statutory responsibility for law and order sits with the territorial police forces even if there is a specialist police force in the locality. These police forces do not have independent Police Authorities and their founding statutes (if any) do not generally prescribe their structure and formation.

Ports police

There are two types of port police in the United Kingdom — most are sworn in under the 1847 Act, but a few have Acts specific to their port.

Ports police operating under the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847

For every port/harbour, an individual Act of Parliament (or, more recently, a Harbour (Revision) Order) can incorporate parts of the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847 (HDPCA) and apply them to that specific port/harbour. Officers of port police forces are sworn in as "special constables" under section 79 of the 1847 Act, as incorporated by the individual local Act. As a result, officers have the full powers of a constable on any land owned by the harbour, dock, or port and at any place within one mile of any owned land. The Marine Navigation Act 2013 enables the one mile limit for ports police in England and Wales to be removed where the chief officer of the local police force consents. There are 224 constables sworn in under the 1847 Act.[14] Serious or major incidents or crime generally become the responsibility of the local territorial police force.

Other ports police

Parks police

Parks not controlled by local authorities

These small constabularies are responsible for policing specific land and parks. Officers of these forces have the powers of a constable within their limited jurisdiction. They are not constables as dealt with in the general Police Acts.

The Parks Regulation Act 1872 provides for the attestation of parks constables.

Parks controlled by local authorities
A photograph of officers of the Birmingham Parks Police, taken between c. 1900 and 1910.

Over history, a number of local authorities outside London have maintained their own parks police forces, the most notable being Liverpool (Liverpool Parks Police) and Birmingham (Birmingham Parks Police). No local authority parks police forces currently exist outside London, although the legal powers for them to do so (granted by various local Acts of Parliament) survive in a limited number of cases.

In London, these constabularies are responsible for enforcing byelaws within the parks and open spaces of their respective local authorities. Members of the constabularies are sworn as constables under section 18 of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Provision Order Confirmation (Greater London Parks and Open Spaces) Act 1967. Members of the constabularies are constables only in relation to the enforcement of the parks byelaws (which, by definition, apply only in the parks).[18]

Some of these constables have (or have had) a shared role as security staff for their own local authority's buildings and housing estates with appropriate changes of badges and/or uniform being made when changing to/from park duties.

Other

Service police

In British Forces Germany, under the Status Of Forces Act, military police have jurisdiction over British Forces personnel, their families, MOD contractors, and NAAFI staff. In the UK, they have limited powers over civilians, though they do not have the primary powers – this remains with the civil police. Members of military police services are not sworn as 'constables' in terms of criminal law and have no police powers in the civilian environment however Military Police personnel can utilise powers under Sect 24(A) Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 which allows them to arrest any individual they have reasonable grounds to suspect is committing, has committed or is about to commit an indictable offence.[21]

Crown dependencies

Isle of Man

Bailiwick of Jersey

A recruiting banner for the Honorary Police showing the arms of each parish: (from left to right) Grouville, St Brelade, St John, Trinity, St Saviour, St Ouen, St Helier, St Mary, St Lawrence, St Clement, St Peter, St Martin

Bailiwick of Guernsey

Overseas Territories

Ministry of Defence overseas police

Overseas service police

Overseas law enforcement in the UK

There are certain instances where police forces of other nations operate in a limited degree in the United Kingdom:

Fictional police forces

In the majority of crime fiction, in print or on screen, set in the UK, real police forces are often used as the basis of the drama (though often set in fictional locations). However, there have been some works of fiction that have created their own police forces:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency Annual Report 2005-2006
  2. ↑ CNPA/CNC Annual Review 2006–07
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 APA Police Service Strength Map Update, Association of Police Authorities, 28 August 2010.
  4. ↑ Part III Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
  5. ↑ http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DG_10012032
  6. ↑ "Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30)". Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  7. ↑ Rayner, Gordon (2008-04-12). "Council spy cases hit 1,000 a month". Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  8. ↑ "Name change for police force". This is Cornwall. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "An Act for the regualtion of Royal Parks and Gardens" (PDF). UK Government. 27 June 1872. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside participate in a partnership called the North West Motorway Police Group
  11. 1 2 3 Staffordshire, West Mercia and West Midlands participate in a partnership called the Central Motorway Police Group
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ What will happen when policing and justice is devolved? – BBC News, 05/02/10
  14. ↑ "Accountability and Standards of the Port Police Forces". Dft.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  15. ↑ section 5, Belfast Harbour Act 1847
  16. ↑ Port of Felixstowe: Port Protection
  17. ↑ section 3(d), Falmouth Docks Act 1959
  18. ↑ Kelly, Amanda. "THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE RESPONSE BRANCH OF THE COUNCIL’S CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR SERVICE" (PDF). Website of London Borough of Newham Council. London Borough of Newham Council. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  19. ↑ http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/News/West_London_Parks_Police_join_forces.asp
  20. ↑ "Northern Ireland Security Guard Service - PoliceSpecials.com Forum". Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  21. ↑ http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/contents
  22. ↑ IMDB - Lewis (2007–)

Further reading

External links

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