Law enforcement in the United Kingdom



Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is regulated by the laws of the appropriate country of the United Kingdom, i.e., Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales (administration of police matters is not generally affected by the Government of Wales Act 2006), and arranged in geographical areas matched to the boundaries of one or more local authorities.

Each country has a number of "territorial police forces" except for Northern Ireland (which has one unified force, the Police Service of Northern Ireland). It is common for the territorial police forces in England and Wales to be referred to as "Home Office" police forces, after the government department which exercises control at a national level in England and Wales, but this is erroneous as the description can encompass a number of miscellaneous forces subject to some kind of control by the Home Office but which are not the concern of the various Police Acts which control territorial police forces.

Jurisdictions and territories
The United Kingdom has three distinct legal systems covering England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. A constable's powers can be exercised throughout the jurisdiction within which he has taken oath and in others within legally-defined circumstances. A police officer of one of the three jurisdictions has all the powers of a constable throughout his own jurisdiction but generally no police powers in the other two jurisdictions unless he has been additionally sworn as occurs with police in border areas (many of what are perceived as "police" powers, such as the general power of arrest, are actually possessed by all citizens so a constable is never totally powerless). All police officers are "constables" in law, irrespective of rank. Police officers of one of the specialised police services such as the British Transport Police or Ministry of Defence Police have more restricted jurisdiction. Although British police officers have wide ranging powers, they are still civilians and subject to the same laws as members of the public. (See List of police forces in the United Kingdom for a fuller explanation of jurisdictions.)

The smallest territorial police force in the UK is the City of London Police, which is responsible for the City of London and some of its extra-territorial possessions, the City having strongly resisted various plans in recent years to merge its force with the Metropolitan Police. It is the single exception to the general grouping of UK police forces into areas of at least "county" size. Like the neighbouring Metropolitan Police, it assists other forces with some specialised crime matters. The rest of Greater London is policed by the Metropolitan Police, which is also the largest police service in the country, by a large margin, in terms of organisational size.

Certain departments of the Metropolitan Police operate extra-territorially to varying extents, including the Counter Terrorism Command, Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department, and certain units of the Specialist Crime Directorate. The new Serious Organised Crime Agency operates in conjunction with the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and the Northern Ireland Organised Crime Taskforce.

A number of other police forces exist which were not formed under general national legislation and are not responsible for general public policing. These have previously been referred to as "special police forces", but that designation has now been given the special meaning of describing the British Transport Police (BTP), the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency: their remit being associated with particular activities which cross national and local boundaries.

The miscellaneous police forces which are neither territorial police forces nor (by the new definition) special police forces include various bodies (not all uniformed) such as those responsible for some local authority-owned public parks; the smallest force is possibly the York Minster Police, however these very small police forces provide no general police services to the public and tend to rely on the local territorial force when assistance is required.

History


The office of Constable has existed in England since Saxon times, but a modern-type police force did not start until the early 19th century, with the introduction of broadly similar forces in localised areas.


 * 1682: Edinburgh Town Guard formed to police the city and enforce the curfew; it was disbanded in 1817. It gained notoriety in 1726 when its Captain Porteous became the trigger for the Porteous Riots.
 * 1749, Bow Street Runners consider the prerunner to all modern police forces.
 * Late 18th century: The Marine Police was established, based in Wapping: this was a localised force with a limited remit.
 * 18th century: Attempts to set up a police force in Glasgow.
 * 1800: Glasgow Police Act passed, because Glasgow city authorities persuaded Parliament to pass it. This allowed the formation of the City of Glasgow Police, funded by taxation of local citizens, to prevent crime.
 * This was quickly followed by the setting up of similar police forces in other towns.
 * 1812: A committee examined the policing of London.
 * 1814: The Peace Preservation Act creates the first organised police force in Ireland, becoming the Irish Constabulary in 1822, and was awarded the Royal prefix after putting down the Fenian Rising of 1867.
 * 1818: Another committee examined the policing of London.
 * 1822: An additional committee examined the policing of London.
 * 1829: Based on the committees' findings, Home Secretary Robert Peel introduced the Metropolitan Police Act 1829, heralding a more rigorous and less discretionary approach to law enforcement.
 * 29 September 1829: The Metropolitan Police was founded. It was depersonalised, bureaucratic and hierarchical, with the new police constables instructed to prevent crime and pursue offenders. However, in contrast to the military gendarmerie forces of continental Europe, the British police, partly to counter public fears and objections concerning armed enforcers, were clearly civilian and their armament was initially limited to the truncheon. Uniform was blue, resembling the navy rather than the red of the army, who had policed with firearms and a heavy-handedness which had long caused public consternation. A fear of spy systems and political control also kept 'plain clothes' and even detective work to a minimum. The force was independent of the local government; through its Commissioner, it was responsible direct to the Home Office. The new constables were nicknamed 'peelers' or 'bobbies' after the Home Secretary, Robert Peel. The nickname 'bobbies' continues to this day, 'peelers' is more uncommon, although used liberally in Northern Ireland.
 * 1831: Special Constables Act 1831 passed.
 * 1835: Municipal Corporations Act 1835 passed. Among other matters this required each borough in England and Wales to establish a watch committee, who had the duty of appointing constables "for the preserving of the peace". The jurisdiction of the borough constables extended to any place within seven miles of the borough.
 * 1839: County Police Act 1839 passed.
 * 1839: First county police force created, in Wiltshire.
 * 1840: County Police Act 1840 passed.
 * 1842: Within the Metropolitan Police a detective force was founded.
 * 1856: County and Borough Police Act 1856 made county and borough police forces mandatory in England and Wales and subject to central inspection. By then around thirty counties had voluntarily created police forces.
 * 1857: The General Police Act (Scotland) 1857 required each Scottish county and burgh to establish a police force, either its own or by uniting with a neighbouring county.
 * 1860: By this year there were over 200 separate forces in England and Wales.
 * 1878: As a result of the 1877 Turf Fraud scandal, the Metropolitan Police's Detective Department was reorganised and renamed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in 1878.
 * 1914: Special Constables Act 1914. Allowed for the appointment of Special Constables during wartime.
 * 1914-1918: World War I: the police became unionised.
 * 1918 and 1919: The police went on strike over pay and conditions.
 * 1919: Police Act of 1919 passed in response to the police strikes of 1918 and 1919. It criminalised the police union, replacing it with the Police Federation of England and Wales. The act also guaranteed a pension for police; previously it had been discretionary.
 * The fragmented nature of the police was resistant to change, and there were still over 200 separate police forces before World War II. During the War, resignations were not permitted except on grounds of ill-health.
 * 1922: Following partition, the Royal Irish Constabulary is replaced by the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland and the Garda Síochána in the Irish Free State.
 * 1923: Special Constables Act 1923 (all-UK) passed.
 * 1946: Police Act 1946 passed. This abolished nearly all non-county borough police forces in England and Wales. This left 117 police forces.
 * 1964: Police Act 1964. This created 49 larger forces in England and Wales, some covering two or more counties or large urban areas.
 * 1984: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). Regulated the actions of the police in England and Wales, particularly in relations to arrest and searches/powers of entry. Also instituted the PACE Codes of Practice. PACE did not extend these matters to Scotland but dealt with other subjects there.
 * 2002: Police Reform Act 2002. s.38 introduced community support officers (PCSOs), investigating officers, detention officers and escort officers in England and Wales (these are not police constables but have some of the powers of a constable).
 * 2006: Major provisions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 come into effect including the overhaul of powers of arrest, institution of the Serious Organised Crime Agency and extension of powers available to PCSOs; these (other than SOCA) applying in England and Wales. The majority of the Act applies only to England and Wales with only a few sections applying to Scotland or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 comes into force.

Accountability
In England and Wales a Police Authority, normally consisting of three magistrates, nine local councillors and five independent members, is responsible for overseeing each local force. They also have a duty under law to ensure that their community gets best value from their police force.

In Northern Ireland the Police Service of Northern Ireland is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

In Scotland each police force is overseen either by the local authority (for Fife Constabulary and Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary) or by a joint board of the relevant authorities (all other forces).

Two of the three special police forces in Great Britain, (the British Transport Police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary) had their own police authorities set up in 2004. These forces operate across national jurisdictions but their normal responsibility is to the activities they police, i.e. the railways and the civil nuclear industry.



Her Majesty's Inspectorates of Constabulary
Her Majesty's Inspectorates of Constabulary (HMIC) are the official bodies responsible for the examination and assessment of police forces to ensure their fitness to function.

There are two similarly-named organisations:
 * Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) - this organisation is responsible to the Home Office for police forces in England and Wales. It also inspects, by invitation, various UK special police forces. Since 2004, HMIC has also had responsibility for examining HM Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Inspection services have been provided on a non-statutory basis for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.


 * Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (commonly known as HMIC) - this organisation is responsible to the Scottish Government and examines Scotland's territorial police forces, the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, the Scottish Criminal Record Office, the Scottish Police College and the Scottish Police Information Strategy.

Crown dependencies and overseas territories
The Crown dependencies and British overseas territories have their own police forces, the majority of which utilise the British model. Because they are not part of the United Kingdom, they are not answerable to the British Government; instead they are organised by and are responsible to their own governments (an exception to this is the Sovereign Base Areas Police - because the SBAs existence is purely for the benefit of the British armed forces and do not have full overseas territory status, the SBA Police are responsible to the Ministry of Defence). However, because they are based on the British model of policing, these police forces conform to the standards set out by the British government, which includes voluntarily submitting themselves to inspection by the HMIC.

Ranks
The rank structure of United Kingdom police forces are identical up to the rank of Chief Superintendent. However, the higher ranks are distinct within London. The two territorial police forces in Greater London (Metropolitan, City of London) have a series of Commander and Commissioner ranks as their top ranks whereas other UK police forces have a chief constable and deputies as their top ranks; all Chief Commissioners and Chief Constables are equal in rank to each other.

Uniform and equipment


Uniforms, the issuing of firearms, type of patrol cars and other equipment varies by force. Unlike police in most other countries, the vast majority of British police officers do not carry firearms on standard patrol; they do however carry extendable batons and CS/PAVA spray. In most forces, CS spray is now obsolete, being replaced by PAVA Incapacitant Spray.

There are, however, exceptions. Every territorial force maintains specialist armed response units, while one territorial force (the Police Service of Northern Ireland) and two of the national, special police forces (the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Ministry of Defence Police) are routinely armed, usually only within their establishments but the MDP guard Whitehalls Ministry of Defence head quarters so are in the public eye.

With the rare occurrence of UK Police carrying firearms, it will usually be at an airport or an armed incident. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) firearms unit is called CO19 (formerly SO19), but every force in England operates an armed response unit. Metropolitan Police and City of London Police operate with three officers per Armed Response Vehicle, a driver. The observer who gathers information about the incident and liasing with other units, and a navigator. Other police forces carry two Authorised Firearms Officers instead of three. Armed Police carry a combination of weapons, ranging from German Heckler & Koch MP5 carbines, Heckler & Koch MSG901 Sniper rifles, Heckler & Koch Baton Guns (which fire baton rounds) and Heckler & Koch G36Cs to a number of specialist weapons such as the Remington pump-action shotgun.

Height
In the 19th and early 20th centuries most forces required their recruits to be at least 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) in height. By 1960 many forces had reduced this to 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm), and 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) for women. Many senior officers deplored this, believing that height was a vital requirement for a uniformed constable. Some forces retained the height standard at 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) or 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) until the early 1990s, when the height standard was gradually removed. No British force now requires its recruits to be of any minimum height.

Organisation of police stations
Police stations may have:
 * Police Officers/Sergeants and Inspectors who respond to 999 calls. Also known as Response or Support Officers.
 * Police Officers/Sergeants and Inspectors who work alongside the community, dealing with the 'lower' level of crime, (i.e. they do not respond to 999 calls. Also known as Beat or Neighborhood Officers)
 * Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who perform foot patrols in the community. PSCOs hold limited police powers, linked with the local community such as low level crime, youth disorder and are usually termed as 'civilian' or 'police staff'. In some forces, they have replaced Traffic Wardens and have taken on their traffic duties.
 * Traffic Wardens (TWs) who enforce parking regulations. The traffic wardens have been privatised (County Council controlled).(see Decriminalised Parking Enforcement).
 * Crime Reduction Officers who attend public functions, visiting households with advice and handing out items such as rape alarms
 * Firearms Enquiries Officer who maintains firearms certificates etc.
 * Station Reception Officers (SROs) or Station enquiry officers (SEOs) who are in charge of the front desk and do administration.
 * Fingerprinting/Identification Officers who deal with Criminal Identities for Archives.
 * In some police stations, police cadets may be present helping regular / part-time police officers/PCSOs or any police staff.
 * Special Police Constables/Sergeants/Inspectors/Chief Inspectors will be present. A Special Police Constable / Officer is a part-time trained Police Officer with full police powers, including powers of arrest.
 * Criminal Investigation Department offices (CID) to investigate major crime.
 * Specialist Investigation Department, such as Fraud Squad, Hi-Tech Crime Unit (HTCU), Public Protection Unit (PPU).
 * Smaller stations usually have a number of Detective Constables (DCs) headed by a Detective Sergeant (DS), or in larger stations usually a large number of DCs, DSs and Detective Inspectors (DIs), with the Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) in charge of the department.
 * Most stations have temporary Prison cells where an arrested offender can be held overnight until escort to the court for sentencing
 * Stations have kitchens so the officers can have hot meals, paperwork rooms and restrooms.
 * If the police station is central in an area, it may have Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO's) who are based there.

Controversial shootings
The policy under which British police use firearms has resulted in controversy.

Controversial Cases
In 1975 Stefan Kiszko, a tax clerk, was the subject of an infamous miscarriage of justice. He was wrongly convicted of the sexual assault and murder of Lesley Molseed. Senior police officers of the case retired early but some were formally charged with "doing acts tending to pervert the course of justice", withholding evidence, the case never went to court. The same police officer Dick Holland was described as ignorant and boorish towards a junior DC for trying to alert him to his suspicions of Sutcliffe a few years before he was apprehended.

In 1979 Blair Peach was a teacher who became a symbol of resistance when he died as a result of alleged police brutality during a demonstration in London, England. Eleven witnesses claimed to have seen members of the Metropolitan Police Special Patrol Group (SPG) hitting Mr Peach in a side-street. When the lockers and some houses of Special Patrol Group members were later searched coshes, knives, bayonets, swords and Nazi regalia were found. No officer was convicted of his murder. Controversially, in a recent newspaper report crucial evidence from the case has disappeared.

In 2007 speeding police were not prosecuted despite not attending an emergency call but on duty after refusing to say who was at the wheel. Information Commissioner refused to name them saying that "risk that those individuals will be vilified and as a consequence their mental or physical health will suffer". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7130028.stm

Deaths in police custody
In 1997/98, 69 people died in police custody or following contact with the police across England and Wales; 26 resulted from deliberate self harm. 

There are two defined categories of death in custody issued by the Home Office:

Category A: This category also encompasses deaths of those under arrest who are held in temporary police accommodation or have been taken to hospital following arrest. It also includes those who die, following arrest, whilst in a police vehicle.


 * s/he has been taken to a police station after being arrested for an offence, or
 * s/he is arrested at a police station after attending voluntarily at the station or accompanying a Constable to it, and is detained there or is detained elsewhere in the charge of a constable, except that a person who is at a court after being charged is not in police detention for those purposes.

Category B: Where the deceased was otherwise in the hands of the police or death resulted from the actions of a police officer in the purported execution of his duty.


 * when suspects are being interviewed by the police but have not been detained;
 * when persons are actively attempting to evade arrest;
 * when persons are stopped and searched or questioned by the police; and
 * when persons are in police vehicles (other than whilst in police detention).

Recent issues
Evidence of corruption in the 1970s, serious urban riots and the police role in controlling industrial disorder in the 1980s, and the changing nature of police procedure made police accountability and control a major political football from the 1990s onwards.

The coal miners' strike (1984–1985) saw thousands of police from various forces deployed against miners, frequently resulting in violent confrontation.

The presence of Freemasons in the police caused disquiet in the early 1990s.

The Fettesgate scandal in the early 1990s concerned the theft (and allegedly the subsequent recovery) of sensitive documents from the Edinburgh headquarters of Lothian and Borders Police. Nobody has ever been charged, and, at least publicly, no officer was disciplined.

Despite attempts to end racism and what the Macpherson Report described as "institutionalised racism" in the police since the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence, there have been ongoing problems. At the same time, some commentators and academics have claimed that political correctness and excessive sensitivity to issues of race and class have reduced the effectiveness of the police force, not least for people living in deprived areas or members of minority groups themselves.

In 2003, ten police officers from Greater Manchester Police, North Wales Police and Cheshire Constabulary were forced to resign after a BBC documentary, "The Secret Policeman", shown on 21 October, revealed racism among recruits at Bruche Police National Training Centre at Warrington. On 4 March 2005 the BBC noted that minor disciplinary action would be taken against twelve other officers (eleven from Greater Manchester Police and one from Lancashire Constabulary) in connection with the programme, but that they would not lose their jobs. In November 2003, allegations were made that some police officers were members of the far-right British National Party.

The perceived absence of a visible police presence on the streets also frequently causes concern. This is partially being addressed by the introduction of uniformed Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), following the passing of the Police Reform Act 2002, although some have criticised these as for being a cheap alternative to fully-trained police officers. 

At the beginning of 2005 it was announced that the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) had signed an eight-year £122 m contract to introduce biometric identification technology. PITO are also planning to use CCTV facial recognition systems to identify known suspects; a future link to the proposed National Identity Register has been suggested by some. 

A number of recent cases in which the police have intervened in matters of free speech have also given rise to allegations that the police are in danger of becoming thought police. In December 2005, author Lynette Burrows was interviewed by police after expressing her opinion on BBC Radio 5 Live that homosexuals should not be allowed to adopt children. The following month, Sir Iqbal Sacranie was investigated by police for stating the Islamic view that homosexuality is a sin. 

Recent undercover TV programmes BBC's The Secret Policeman and Channel 4 Dispatches programme Undercover Copper  raised questions of standards within UK police forces.

Censorship
The image on the front cover of Filth by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh caused outrage when released and the Southampton police seized promotional material they deemed obscene and offensive to the police.

Proposed mergers for England and Wales
In 1981, James Anderton, the then Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police called for 10 regional police forces for England and Wales, one for each of the regions which would be adopted as Government Office Regions in England, and Wales.

A 2004 proposal by the Police Superintendents Association for the creation of a single national police force, similar to Garda Síochána na hÉireann was rejected by the Association of Chief Police Officers, and the government has thus far agreed.

In September 2005, in a report delivered to the then Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary suggested that the forty-three force structure in England and Wales was "no longer fit for purpose" and smaller forces should be forcibly merged. As of 2005, nineteen forces had fewer than 2,000 regular officers, and the report suggested that forces with 4,000 or more officers performed better and could deliver cost savings. Forces were asked to produce proposals for mergers, within Wales and the English Government Office Regions. Nearly all the existing forces were under the 4,000 limit, with only the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police, Merseyside Police, Northumbria Police, Thames Valley Police, West Midlands Police and West Yorkshire Police over the limit - see List of police forces in England and Wales by officers for a full list.

Draft options were announced in November 2005. The Home Office offered money to police authorities that decided to voluntarily merge ahead of schedule, and was consequently accused of attempting to "bribe" unwilling Chief Constables into compliance. The proposals were debated in the House of Commons on December 19 2005. Most Chief Constables and police authorities did not back the measure, and some suggested that cross-regional mergers would make more sense (for example, Hampshire Constabulary in the South East suggested it could merge with Dorset Police in the South West, whilst there was also a suggestion of North Wales Police increasing co-operation with Cheshire Police)

On February 6, 2006, preferred options for several regions were announced by the Home Secretary in a Written Ministerial Statement, and set a deadline of February 24 for forces to agree to the mergers. By this dead-line the only merger to have the agreement of all forces involved was the Cumbria/Lancashire merger. Cheshire was opposed to a merger with Merseyside, and West Mercia and Cleveland were holdouts in their regions, whilst all the Welsh forces opposed the creation of a single Welsh force. The Home Secretary had the power to order the Cumbria/Lancashire merger to proceed by statutory instrument under the Police Act 1996, and also to force through the contested mergers, given a four-month consultation period. In a Written Statement made on March 3, 2006, he announced that the Lancashire/Cumbria merger could be ordered in May, and that the consultation period on the others was starting, and would end on July 2, 2006. The new forces would come into being on April 1, 2007.

A second batch of merger proposals were made on March 20, 2006, with the Eastern, East Midlands and South East regions covered. A deadline of April 7 2006 was set for responses, after which it was expected that the process above would be followed. The following day, the Home Secretary proposed a merger of all four forces in the Yorkshire and the Humber region. The consultation period on this second batch of mergers started on April 11 2006, and would have finished on August 11, with a target of April 1, 2008 for the mergers coming into effect.

Greater London
Upon the publication of the proposals, the Greater London area was not included. This was due to two separate reviews of policing in the capital - the first was a review by the Department of Transport into the future role and function of the British Transport Police. The second was a review by the Attorney-General into national measures for combating fraud (the City of London Police is one of the major organisations for combating economic crime). Both the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, and the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, stated that they would like to see a single police force in London, with the Metropolitan Police absorbing the City of London Police and the functions of the British Transport Police in London. However, this met with criticism from several areas; the House of Commons Transport Select Committee severely criticised the idea of the Metropolitan Police taking over policing of the rail network in a report published on 16 May 2006, while the City of London Corporation and several major financial institutions in The City made public their opposition to the City Police merging with the Met. In a statement on 20 July 2006, the Transport Secretary announced that there would be no structural or operational changes to the British Transport Police, effectively ruling out any merger The interim report by the Attorney General's fraud review recognised the role taken by the City Police as the lead force in London and the South-East for tackling fraud, and made a recommendation that, should a national lead force be required, the City Police, with its expertise, would be an ideal candidate to take this role. This view was confirmed on the publication of the final report, which recommended that the City of London Police's Fraud Squad should be the national lead force in combatting fraud, to "act as a centre of excellence, disseminate best practice, give advice on complex inquiries in other regions, and assist with or direct the most complex of such investigations"

Abandonment
On 20 June 2006 the new Home Secretary, John Reid, announced that the contested mergers would be delayed for further discussion, and no mergers would be ordered before Parliament's summer recess on 25 July other than the agreed Lancashire/Cumbria one.

On 11 July 2006, it then emerged that the entire proposal for police mergers might be ended, following the decision by the only two forces to have agreed to amalgamation, Cumbria and Lancashire, not to proceed. The announcement of this was followed by the head of the ACPO stating that "The necessary financial support has not materialised and mergers, including voluntary ones, will not take place". On 12 July 2006, the Home Office confirmed that the mergers were to be abandoned, with the entire proposal taken back for consultation

Other police forces
Policing in Scotland and Northern Ireland does not come under the purview of the Home Office, and so would have remained unaffected by these proposals. Likewise, the major non-territorial forces (British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Ministry of Defence Police) are responsible to other government departments, and so would not have been affected by this review.

List of proposed mergers
Note: these mergers have all been suspended in the long term while a further review and consultation into policing in England and Wales takes place

Border police
As part of the wide ranging review of the Home Office, the then Home Secretary, John Reid, announced in July 2006 that all British immigration officers would be uniformed. On April 1 2007, the Border and Immigration Agency was created and commenced operation, though this was replaced with a wider-reaching body, the UK Border Agency, on 1 April 2008. Further powers, including PCSO-style powers of detention and also some extra powers of arrest were introduced by the UK Borders Act 2007.

National Crime Force
In April 2007, the Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron announced the Conservative Party's proposals for reform of policing. These included:
 * Replacing police authorities with directly elected police commissioners. These individuals would have control over budgets and target setting, with the Chief Constable retaining operational control of policing.
 * Giving the public the right to discuss local policing issues with their local police officers at regular meetings.

In addition, the proposals made clear that on the issue of serious crime the 43 police forces in England and Wales would either have to have greater cooperation, or that the serious crime elements of their function would be invested in a National Serious Crime Force.

Police Pay
The decision to award police officers in England and Wales a 2.5% pay increase as recommended, but to pay it from December 2007, rather than backdated to September, has caused widespread anger, especially as this decision stood in sharp contrast to the decision of the Scottish Government to fully backdate the award for police officers in Scotland.

Mandatory drug tests
Scotland's police forces are to introduce mandatory drugs tests in an attempt to stamp out substance abuse by officers. The zero-tolerance policy will bring Scotland's police into line with the Army and other agencies and companies, as concerns grow over the number of police officers using recreational drugs. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is behind the roll out of the scheme.

Overseas police forces in the UK
There are certain instances where police forces of other nations operate in a limited degree in the United Kingdom:
 * The Police aux Frontières or PAF (French Border Police), a division of the Police Nationale, is permitted to operate both on Eurostar trains to London and within the international terminal at St Pancras Station as well as Ebbsfleet and Ashford International railway stations and the Cheriton Parc Le Shuttle terminal alongside French Customs officials, in regard to services through the Channel Tunnel. The PAF also operate at Dover Ferry terminals. This arrangement is reciprocated to the British Transport Police, UK Immigration Service, and UK Customs Officers on Paris bound trains and within the terminal at Paris Gare du Nord, Coquelles (Le Shuttle), Gare de Lille-Europe, Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid and the Calais, Dunkerque, and Boulogne ferry terminals. The French police officers are not permitted to carry their firearms in the London Terminal; the firearms must be left on the train.
 * An Garda Síochána na hÉireann (The Irish Police), under a recent agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, have the right, alongside the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, to carry out inspections of the Sellafield nuclear facility in Cumbria.
 * In 2006 a small number of officers from the Policja (Polish Police) were seconded to the North Wales Police to assist with the supervision of foreign (largely eastern European) truck traffic largely on European route E22 (the A55 road). The Chief Constable of North Wales has publicly stated (November 2006) that he is considering directly recruiting a small number of officers from Poland to assist with policing the substantial population of Polish people that has migrated to his area since Poland's accession to the EU in 2004.
 * Military Police of forces present in the UK within the terms of the Visiting Forces Act 1952 are permitted to travel to/from relevant premises in uniform and their (usually distinctive) vehicles will occasionally be seen. Their powers (including the carrying of firearms) are generally limited by that and other legislation to those necessary for the performance of duties related to their own forces and to those possessed by the General Public.

Databases

 * National identity card database
 * HOLMES
 * Police National Computer
 * Violent and Sex Offender Register
 * UK National DNA Database
 * Service Police Crime Bureau

National Police Resources

 * National Wildlife Crime Unit
 * UK Human Trafficking Centre
 * National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)
 * The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO)
 * Centre for the Protection of National Infastructure
 * The National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU)
 * UK Police National Missing Persons Bureau
 * National Mobile Phone Crime Unit
 * Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit
 * Forensic Science Service
 * LGC Forensics - Laboratory of the Government Chemist
 * Truckpol

Staff Associations

 * National Black Police Association
 * Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland
 * Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland
 * Police guidelines (ACPO)
 * Police Federation of England and Wales
 * Scottish Police Federation
 * Police Federation for Northern Ireland

Complaints against police
Non-official and Independent Sites
 * Independent Police Complaints Commission (England and Wales)
 * Complaints Against the police (Scotland)
 * Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
 * British police slang and acronyms
 * UK Police news & information portal

Storbritanniens politi Polizei (Vereinigtes Königreich) Penguatkuasaan polis di United Kingdom Storbritannias politi