Police Act 1996
1996 c. 16
An Act to consolidate the Police Act 1964, Part IX of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Chapter I of Part I of the Police and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1994 and certain other enactments relating to the police.
[22nd May 1996]
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
(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, . . .
(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.
(1) A police force shall be maintained for the metropolitan police district.
(2) For further provision about the maintenance of the metropolitan police force, see Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.
6ZA Power to confer particular functions on the Common Council
(1) The Secretary of State may by order confer particular functions on the Common Council.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), an order under this section may contain provision requiring the Common Council—
(a) to monitor the performance of the City of London police force in—
(i) complying with any duty imposed on the force by or under this Act, the Human Rights Act 1998 or any other enactment;
(ii) carrying out any plan issued by virtue of section 6ZB;
(aa) to hold the Commissioner of Police for the City of London to account for the exercise of the Commissioner's functions under Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 in relation to the handling of complaints;
(b) to secure that arrangements are made for that force to co-operate with other police forces whenever necessary or expedient;
(c) to promote diversity within that force and within the Common Council.
(3) Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State must consult—
(a) the Common Council,
(b) the Commissioner of Police for the City of London, and
(c) such other persons as he thinks fit.
(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(5) A statutory instrument containing an order under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(1) Before the beginning of each financial year the Common Council shall issue a plan (a “policing plan”) setting out—
(a) the Common Council's objectives (“policing objectives”) for the policing of the City of London police area, and for the discharge by the City of London Police of its national or international functions during that year; and
(b) the proposed arrangements for the policing of that area for the period of three years beginning with that year.
(2) In issuing a policing plan, the Common Council must have regard to the strategic policing requirement issued under section 37A.
(3) Before determining policing objectives, the Common Council shall—
(a) consult the Commissioner of Police for the City of London, and
(b) consider any views obtained by the Common Council in accordance with arrangements made under section 96.
(4) A draft of a policing plan required to be issued by the Common Council under this section shall be prepared by the Commissioner of Police for the City of London and submitted by him to the Common Council for it to consider.
The Common Council shall consult the Commissioner of Police for the City of London before issuing a policing plan which differs from the draft submitted by him under this subsection.
(5) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision supplementing that made by this section.
(6) The regulations may make provision (further to that made by subsection (3)) as to persons who are to be consulted, and matters that are to be considered, before determining policing objectives.
(7) The regulations may contain provision as to—
(a) matters to be dealt with in policing plans (in addition to those mentioned in subsection (1));
(b) persons who are to be consulted, and matters that are to be considered, in preparing policing plans;
(c) modification of policing plans;
(d) persons to whom copies of policing plans are to be sent.
(8) Before making regulations under this section the Secretary of State must consult—
(a) the Common Council,
(b) the Commissioner of Police for the City of London, and
(c) such other persons as he thinks fit.
(9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(10) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1) The Secretary of State may by order require the Common Council to issue reports concerning the discharge of the Common Council's functions.
(2) An order under this section may contain provision as to—
(a) the periods to be covered by reports, and, as regards each period, the date by which reports are to be issued;
(b) the matters to be dealt with in reports;
(c) persons to whom copies of reports are to be sent.
(3) Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State must consult—
(a) the Common Council,
(b) the Commissioner of Police for the City of London, and
(c) such other persons as he thinks fit.
(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(5) A statutory instrument containing an order under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
9H Other members of the metropolitan police force.
(1) The ranks that may be held in the metropolitan police force shall be such as may be prescribed by regulations under section 50.
(2) The ranks so prescribed in the case of the metropolitan police force shall include, in addition to the ranks of—
(a) Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis,
(b) Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis,
(c) Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and
(ca) Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and
(d) Commander,
those of chief superintendent, superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, sergeant and constable.
(3) In the metropolitan police force, appointments and promotions to any rank below that of Commander shall be made in accordance with regulations under section 50 by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
(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.
(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 .