Law enforcement in the United Kingdom

Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organized separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. In the United Kingdom, every person has limited powers of arrest if they see a crime being committed – these are called every person powers, commonly referred to as a citizen’s arrest. In England and Wales, the vast majority of attested constables enjoy full powers of arrest and search. All police officers are constables in law, irrespective of rank. Although police officers have wide ranging powers, they are still civilians and subject to the same laws as members of the public.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the “square mile” of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police. The MPS also has significant national responsibilities such as coordinating and leading on counter-terrorism matters and protection of the British Royal Family and senior figures of Her Majesty’s Government.

There are four general types of agency: territorial police forces, which carry out the majority of policing. These are police forces that cover a police area (a particular region) and have an independent Police Authority; special police forces, which are national police forces that have a specific, non-regional jurisdiction, such as the British Transport Police; non-police law enforcement agencies, whose officers are not police constables, but still enforce laws; miscellaneous police forces, mostly having their foundations in older legislation or Common Law. These have a responsibility to police specific local areas or activities, such as ports and parks. Most police officers are members of territorial police forces. Upon taking an oath for one of these forces, they have all the powers and privileges, duties and responsibilities of a constable in one of the three distinct legal systems – either England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the territorial waters of that country.

The vast majority of British police officers do not carry firearms on standard patrol; they do however carry batons and spray. Every territorial force has a specialist Firearms Unit which maintains Armed Response Vehicles to respond to firearms related emergency calls. Each unit comprises a driver, a navigator, and an observer who gathers information about the incident and liaises with other units. Armed Police carry a combination of weapons, ranging from carbines, Sniper rifles, Baton Guns which fire baton rounds to a pump-action shotgun. Various items of equipment are usually carried on the duty belt of uniformed officers, although some have pouches attached to their stab vest, eliminating the need for a belt: Baton (either extendable, telescopic or rigid); Airwave personal radio; CS/PAVA Incapacitant Spray; Police notebook; Personal digital assistants; Torch; Leg or arm restraints^; Speedcuffs^; X26 Taser. Extra equipment, such as a first aid kit (including a pocket mask, disposable gloves, germicidal wipes, hypoallergenic tape, wound dressings, a triangular bandage and sterile plasters), may be stored in a patrol car.

An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and a Judge on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of ones property. In England and Wales, arrest warrants can be issued for both suspects and witnesses. Certain warrants can be executed by constables even though they are outside their jurisdiction: arrest warrants, warrants of commitment and a warrant to arrest a witness (England, Wales or Northern Ireland) a warrant for committal, a warrant to imprison (or to apprehend and imprison) and a warrant to arrest a witness (Scotland). If a constable suspects that a person has committed or attempted to commit an offence in his country, and that person is now in another country, he may arrest (and in the case of a constable from Scotland, detain) them in that other country.

Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) can be found in all police forces. Generally these officers deal with investigations of a more complex, serious nature.

The Flying Squad is a branch of the Specialist Crime Directorate, within London’s Metropolitan Police Service. The Squad’s purpose is to investigate commercial armed robberies, along with the prevention and investigation of other serious armed crime.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14