High Court enforcement officer (High Court sheriff)
Traffic officer
Immigration officer
National Crime Agency (officer)
National Highways traffic officer
Police community support officer
Police custody and security officer
Prison officer
Tipstaff
Traffic warden
Water bailiff
Wildlife inspector
Concepts
Chief police officer
Police and crime commissioner
Emergency control centre
Home Office
Neighbourhood policing teams
Police area
Police authority
Initial Police Learning and Development Programme
Police cadets
Police Federation of England and Wales
Police Federation for Northern Ireland
Scottish Police Federation
Police Information Point
Police Oath
Police powers in: England and Wales - Scotland
Police Support Volunteer
Scotland Yard
Police 101 number
Policing by consent
Warrant card
Acts
Highway Act 1835
Police Act 1964
Police (Scotland) Act 1967
The Functions of Traffic Wardens Order 1970
Immigration Act 1971
Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986
Road Traffic Act 1988
Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988
Protection of Children Act 1989
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Police Act 1996
Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997
Terrorism Act 2000
Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
Police Reform Act 2002
Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003
Crime and Courts Act 2013
Licensing Act 2003
Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011
Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
Policing and Crime Act 2017
Statutory instruments
Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989
Crime
Terrorism
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The powers of the police in England and Wales are defined largely by statute law, with the main sources of power being the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Police Act 1996. This article covers the powers of police officers of territorial police forces only, but a police officer in one of the UK's special police forces (most commonly a member of the British Transport Police) can utilise extended jurisdiction powers outside of their normal jurisdiction in certain defined situations as set out in statute. In law, police powers are given to constables (both full-time and volunteer special constables). All police officers in England and Wales are "constables" in law whatever their rank. Certain police powers are also available to a limited extent to police community support officers and other non warranted positions such as police civilian investigators or designated detention officers employed by some police forces even though they are not constables.
There are several general powers constables have that normal members of the public do not, including:
the power to detain people in certain circumstances
the power to stop and search people/vehicles in certain circumstances
various powers of entry in certain circumstances
the power to seize and retain property in certain circumstances
the power to arrest people with or without warrant for any offence and in various other circumstances. (A significantly wider power than that provided to members of the public, often described as "citizen's arrest")
the power to direct the behaviour of persons and vehicles on highways and in other public places
the power to demand name/address and certain documents of anyone driving a motor vehicle on a public road[1]
The powers have various limits and generally require a clear reason for their exercise to be made known to a person subject of to one of the above powers, unless impractical due to the persons behavior or unusual circumstances.
Powers to stop and search can be extended on a limited (by place and duration) basis by legislation such as s.60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994[2] or ss.44-47 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Once a person has been arrested his/her vehicle or residence can be searched without the need for a warrant to be obtained for the purpose of obtaining evidence connected to the offence causing the arrest, as long as the offence or suspected offence was indictable. This power is provided by Section 18(1) or 18(5) and/or 32(2) of PACE 1984 depending on the circumstances. If a person is arrested in a premises or were in a premises immediately before arrest, Section 32(2) states a Constable has the power "to enter and search any premises in which he was when arrested or immediately before he was arrested for evidence relating to the offence". Constables and PCSOs also have the power under this section to search an individual for items that may assist or facilitate an escape from custody (i.e. an arrest or detention) [3][4]
^"Road Traffic Act 1988". www.legislation.gov.uk.
^"Metropolitan Police Service - Stop and Search". www.met.police.uk. Archived from the original on 17 March 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
^"Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984". www.legislation.gov.uk.
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