Police Reform Act 2002

The Police Reform Act 2002 (c.30) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Police Reform Act 2002
Long titleAn Act to make new provision about the supervision, administration, functions and conduct of police forces, police officers and other persons serving with, or carrying out functions in relation to, the police; to amend police powers and to provide for the exercise of police powers by persons who are not police officers; to amend the law relating to anti-social behaviour orders; to amend the law relating to sex offender orders; and for connected purposes.
Citation2002 c.30
Territorial extentUnited Kingdom, but most of the Act only extends to England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent24 July 2002
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

Amongst the provisions of the Act are the creation of the role of Police Community Support Officers,[1][2][3] who have some police powers whilst not being 'sworn' constables, and the ability for chief constables to confer a more limited range of police powers on other (non-sworn) individuals as part of Community Safety Accreditation Schemes. The Act also replaced the Police Complaints Authority with the Independent Police Complaints Commission[4] (later replaced by the Independent Office for Police Conduct).

Section 59

Section 59 of the Act is a common tool now used by police constables and police community support officers (PCSOs) to seize vehicles being used in an anti-social manner. Vehicles can be seized if the police officer / PCSO reasonably believes that a mechanically propelled vehicle is being used in a manner:[5]

  • causing, or likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to the public,
  • and:

Vehicles should be issued with a warning first, unless this is impracticable.[5] An example of it being impractical would be the offenders leaving the vehicle/making off or the vehicle being unregistered and unable to be traced - therefore a warning unable to be placed. If an officer also reasonably believes a warning has been given within the past 12 months - whether or not recorded on the Police National Computer or similar system, they can seize the vehicle immediately.

References
  1. "A-Z of legislation: Police Reform Act 2002". The Guardian. 2009-01-19. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  2. "The role of police community support officers". BBC News. 2012-04-13. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  3. Rogers, Colin; Lewis, Rhobert; John, Tim; Read, Tim (23 May 2011). Police Work: Principles and Practice. Routledge. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-136-72381-0.
  4. Sharp, Douglas (17 June 2013). "Police Reform Act 2002". In Tim Newburn; Peter Neyroud (eds.). Dictionary of Policing. Routledge. p. 214. ISBN 978-1-134-01155-1.
  5. section 59, Police Reform Act 2002


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