Police force in the United Kingdom

Britain has no national police force.

There are forty-three police forces in

England and Wales and eight in Scotland;

Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey

and Guernsey have their own force each.

One force is responsible for up to three

counties. In addition, there are various other

police services. For example the British

Transport Police are responsible for

policing the railway network, the UK

Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary is responsible for policing nuclear establishments and for escorting nuclear materials between establishments, the Ministry of Defense Police are responsible for the policing military establishments in Great Britain etc. as well as a number of small services for ports, waterways, tunnels and airports.

The forces cooperate with each other but they don’t operate in another’s area unless they are asked to give assistance. This sometimes happens in very serious crimes.

Each force in Great Britain is responsible to a police authority. The police authorities must determine the local objectives set by Home Secretary. They also appoint the chief constable and the assistant chief constable, fix the size of the force, and provide buildings and equipment.

The size of the individual force depends on the area and the population. The force areas are divided into divisions, subdivisions and local police stations.

The Metropolitan Police Force and the City of London Force are responsible for policing London. London’s Metropolitan Police Service is the largest force. Its headquarters is New Scotland Yard. For historical reasons the Home Secretary is responsible for London’s Metropolitan Police Force.

Each force has volunteer special constables who perform police duties in their spare time, without pay, acting in support of regular officers. They work a minimum of eight hours a month. The special constabulary symbolizes the links that exist between police forces and the communities they serve.

Police officers do not carry guns, but they are armed with truncheons and in some forces with CS^ spray. However, special firearms officers support their unarmed colleagues if necessary.

Any police officer walking his or her beat can now call upon a vast support network. This ranges from patrol cars, motorcycle units, flying squads to plain-clothes officers, frogmen and dog handlers. All these units are supported by a comprehensive system of information and control, e.g. personal radios, databanks, closed circuit television cameras, and other sophisticated equipment.

Police officers are not allowed to join a trade union, a political party or to go on strike. All ranks, however, have their own staff associations.

The Home Secretary and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Secretaries, together with police authorities and chief constables, are responsible for the provision of an effective and efficient service in Britain.

Police ranks and grades in England and Wales

Police Forces	Metropolitan Police Service
Constable	constable
Sergeant	sergeant
Inspector	inspector
Superintendent	superintendent
deputy chief constable	commander
chief constable	assistant commissioner
	deputy commissioner
	commissioner

The above ranks are usually prefixed by the word “police” or “detec­tive”, e.g. “police constable” (PC) or “detective inspector” (Dl). The detective ranks are from constable to superintendent only. In most forces, female officers are identified by the word “woman”, e.g. “woman police constable” (WPC).