Police Powers in Great Britain

1. Police Powers in Great Britain

2. Contents • 1. Historical development of the police force • 2. Main police powers

3. Historical development • Until the early 1800s most crime was combated by local constables with the help of the occasional citizen patrol • As cities became more crowded, individual companies organized police forces to protect their interests • The Thames River Police was created by West India Trading Company in 1798

4. The Thames River Police • 80 full-time men • Patrolled the London port • The private police force so effective that Parliament authorized money to add men to their patrol

5. Robert Peel • Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), a Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1834-35 and again from 1841-46 • Created the first professional police force in 1829 • Peel sponsored the Metropolitan Police Act which was passed by Parliament • The men on patrol became known as “peelers” or “bobbies”

6. Bobbies • The first thousand of Peel’s police began to patrol the streets of London on September 29, 1829 • Blue tail-coats and top hats to look more like ordinary citizens • Requirements: 6 ft tall and no history of wrong-doings

7. Work conditions • Victorian police worked seven days a week, with five days unpaid holiday • Salary of £1 per week • Not allowed to vote in elections • Required permission to get married • Required to wear their uniform both on and off duty

8. Peel’s vision • The police force should operate from a centrally located headquarters accessible to the public • Recruitment, selection and training • Proper uniforms • Weekly wage • Familiar figures to the public • Friendly image

9. Responsibility • Police responsible for crime detection and prevention by the establishment of regular patrol areas known as “beats” • By becoming familiar with the people and places on his beat, the bobby could recognize suspicious things out of place and deter crime • The patrol concept would be universally adopted by police forces around the world

10. Main police powers • Arrest • Search • Entry • Seizure • Detention

11. Arrest • The police can arrest persons suspected of having committed an offence with or without a warrant issued by a court • For serious offences (“arrestable offences”) a suspect can be arrested without a warrant • General arrest power (to prevent injury or damage)

12. Search • The official examining of a person or a place • A police officer has the power to stop and search people and vehicles if there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that stolen goods or weapons will be found • The officer must state and record the grounds for taking this action • Regulated by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994 • An unlawful search constitutes assault

13. Entry • The right of the police to enter private property to find the wrongdoer • The police can enter premises to make an arrest and search them to find their suspect • Unlawful entry constitutes the tort of trespass

14. Seizure • The instance of taking possession of somebody’s property by the authority • When a lawful arrest is made, the police can seize articles and documents that could be used in evidence against the suspect • The police can take any weapon or article that the suspect could use to harm himself or others

15. Detention • An arrested person must be taken to a police station • The suspect has a right to speak to an independent solicitor free of charge • A suspect may refuse to answer police questions (”the right to silence”) according to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994 • For lesser offences, a suspect can be held in police custody for 24 hours • For serious offences up to 96 hours without charge

16. The law related to police powers • Important from the political standpoint (police interference with the freedom of the individual) • Important from the legal standpoint (issues of civil and criminal liability depend on the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the use of these powers)