Police authority
Encyclopedia
A police authority in the United Kingdom
, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area
served by a territorial police force
or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force. Separate arrangements exist for England and Wales
, Northern Ireland
and Scotland
and for any force not created under one of those countries' national Police Acts (or equivalent for Northern Ireland) which has had a matching police authority created.
s. Typically, a police authority is made up of seventeen members - nine elected members (who are drawn from the local authority or authorities for the force area, and should be reflective of the political makeup of those authorities). The remaining eight members are called independent members, and are appointed from the local community for fixed terms of four years by the police authority itself. At least three of the police authority's independent members must be magistrates. There is no difference in power or responsibility between the different types of member - there are examples of elected, independent and magistrate members chairing police authorities throughout England and Wales.
A significant variation is the Metropolitan Police Authority
, which has 23 members, twelve of whom are members of the London Assembly
and eleven independent members. The Mayor has responsibility for appointing elected members to the police authority from the London Assembly, though he is still bound by the duty to ensure that its membership is reflective of the political balance of the London Assembly. The Mayor may appoint himself as chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority
(he will take up one elected member seat on the authority), or alternatively should appoint the chair from amongst its members. The current Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
, stood down from his position as chair and appointed his deputy Mayor for Policing, Kit Malthouse
(a member of the London Assembly and Metropolitan Police Authority) to take over the position in January 2010. Another variation exists for the City of London Police
in that the Common Council of the City of London is the police authority for the City of London
and its own police force.
Police authorities are represented nationally by the Association of Police Authorities.
in the form of an annual grant (calculated on a proportionate basis by the Home Office to take into account the differences between the 43 forces in England and Wales, which vary significantly in terms of population, geographical size and crime levels and trends), though police authorities may also set a precept on the Council Tax
to raise additional funds. The Home Office has the power to prevent any precept increases deemed to be excessive. It is the police authority's responsibility to set the budget for the force area, which includes allocating itself enough money from the overall policing budget to ensure that it can discharge its own functions effectively.
In its annual Policing Plan, a police authority is obliged to publish its budget for the year, as well as a value for money statement and to outline planned efficiency savings.
and the Audit Commission
(or the Welsh Audit Commission in Wales) began a programme of inspection for police authorities in September 2009. Inspection scores four areas of police authority capability:
Each theme is scored from one to four:
The police authority is also given an overall score using the same 1-4 system.
So far, ten inspection reports have been published, with the majority of inspected authorities scoring 2. The inspectorates published "Learning Lessons: An overview of the first ten joint inspections of police authorities by HMIC and the Audit Commission", outlining their findings from the first ten inspections, in March 2010.
and Liberal Democrats
' manifestos outlined plans, respectively, to replace or reform police authorities, both parties raising concerns about the perceived lack of accountability of police authorities to the communities they serve. The Conservatives proposed to replace them with a single elected individual (sometimes referred to as a 'Police & Crime Commissioner', and criticised as a model by some in policing ), whilst the Liberal Democrats proposed to introduce direct elections to police authorities, whilst strengthening their powers. It is currently unclear how the new British coalition government intends to proceed.
required each borough to establish a "Watch Committee" and thus appoint constables to 'preserve the peace'. Before the advent of police authorities, the regulatory bodies for police forces confined to a single borough were these Watch Committees, whilst those for counties from 1889 had been "Standing Joint Committees" (after 1889 some control passed to the elected county council
; the joint committee also had magistrates). The Police Act 1964
reconstituted these as police authorities with two-thirds elected members of county or borough councils, and one-third magistrates. Under the Local Government Act 1972
the remaining borough police forces were abolished, and police authorities consisted of county councillors and magistrates in a ratio of two to one. The Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994 altered the composition of the authorities with independent members being added. A long list, from applications received, is submitted by a committee of elected members and magistrates to the Home Office
. That committee then appoints the independent members from a shortlist returned by the Home Office.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland
is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board
, of which ten are members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
and nine are independent.
, supervision of the territorial police forces is the responsibility of the elected local authority which either directly supervises the local police force where its border is conterminous with the force, or works through joint boards with neighbouring local authorities. The SCDEA is a special police force and is subject to supervision by the Scottish Police Services Authority whose Board consists of police force members, police authority members and lay members.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area
Police area
A police area is the area for which a territorial police force in the United Kingdom is responsible for policing.Every location in the United Kingdom has a designated territorial police force with statutory responsibility for providing policing services and enforcing criminal law, which is set out...
served by a territorial police force
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force. Separate arrangements exist for England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and for any force not created under one of those countries' national Police Acts (or equivalent for Northern Ireland) which has had a matching police authority created.
Composition
In England and Wales, a police authority is a single purpose authority with representatives nominated by the local authority(ies), independent members, and magistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s. Typically, a police authority is made up of seventeen members - nine elected members (who are drawn from the local authority or authorities for the force area, and should be reflective of the political makeup of those authorities). The remaining eight members are called independent members, and are appointed from the local community for fixed terms of four years by the police authority itself. At least three of the police authority's independent members must be magistrates. There is no difference in power or responsibility between the different types of member - there are examples of elected, independent and magistrate members chairing police authorities throughout England and Wales.
A significant variation is the Metropolitan Police Authority
Metropolitan Police Authority
The Metropolitan Police Authority is the police authority responsible for supervising the Metropolitan Police Service, the police force for Greater London ....
, which has 23 members, twelve of whom are members of the London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
and eleven independent members. The Mayor has responsibility for appointing elected members to the police authority from the London Assembly, though he is still bound by the duty to ensure that its membership is reflective of the political balance of the London Assembly. The Mayor may appoint himself as chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority
Metropolitan Police Authority
The Metropolitan Police Authority is the police authority responsible for supervising the Metropolitan Police Service, the police force for Greater London ....
(he will take up one elected member seat on the authority), or alternatively should appoint the chair from amongst its members. The current Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
, stood down from his position as chair and appointed his deputy Mayor for Policing, Kit Malthouse
Kit Malthouse
Kit Malthouse is Deputy Mayor of London with responsibility for the Metropolitan Police. A politician, businessman and occasional writer, he is a Conservative and a member of the London Assembly representing the West Central constituency, which encompasses the City of Westminster, the London...
(a member of the London Assembly and Metropolitan Police Authority) to take over the position in January 2010. Another variation exists for the City of London Police
City of London Police
The City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle and Inner Temple. The service responsible for law enforcement within the rest of Greater London is the Metropolitan Police Service, a separate...
in that the Common Council of the City of London is the police authority for the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and its own police force.
Police authorities are represented nationally by the Association of Police Authorities.
Police funding
The bulk of police funding comes from the Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
in the form of an annual grant (calculated on a proportionate basis by the Home Office to take into account the differences between the 43 forces in England and Wales, which vary significantly in terms of population, geographical size and crime levels and trends), though police authorities may also set a precept on the Council Tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
to raise additional funds. The Home Office has the power to prevent any precept increases deemed to be excessive. It is the police authority's responsibility to set the budget for the force area, which includes allocating itself enough money from the overall policing budget to ensure that it can discharge its own functions effectively.
In its annual Policing Plan, a police authority is obliged to publish its budget for the year, as well as a value for money statement and to outline planned efficiency savings.
Police authority inspection
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of ConstabularyHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland in the United Kingdom have statutory responsibility for the inspection of police forces.-England and Wales:...
and the Audit Commission
Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is a public corporation in the United Kingdom.The Commission’s primary objective is to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local government, housing and the health service, directly through the audit and inspection process and also through value for money...
(or the Welsh Audit Commission in Wales) began a programme of inspection for police authorities in September 2009. Inspection scores four areas of police authority capability:
- Setting strategic direction and priorities
- Scrutinising performance outcomes
- Achieving results through community engagement and partnerships
- Ensuring value for money and productivity
Each theme is scored from one to four:
- Performs poorly
- Performs adequately
- Performs well
- Performs excellently
The police authority is also given an overall score using the same 1-4 system.
So far, ten inspection reports have been published, with the majority of inspected authorities scoring 2. The inspectorates published "Learning Lessons: An overview of the first ten joint inspections of police authorities by HMIC and the Audit Commission", outlining their findings from the first ten inspections, in March 2010.
The future of police authorities
In the 2010 British general election campaign, both the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
' manifestos outlined plans, respectively, to replace or reform police authorities, both parties raising concerns about the perceived lack of accountability of police authorities to the communities they serve. The Conservatives proposed to replace them with a single elected individual (sometimes referred to as a 'Police & Crime Commissioner', and criticised as a model by some in policing ), whilst the Liberal Democrats proposed to introduce direct elections to police authorities, whilst strengthening their powers. It is currently unclear how the new British coalition government intends to proceed.
Historical context
From 1835, the Municipal Corporations ActMunicipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
required each borough to establish a "Watch Committee" and thus appoint constables to 'preserve the peace'. Before the advent of police authorities, the regulatory bodies for police forces confined to a single borough were these Watch Committees, whilst those for counties from 1889 had been "Standing Joint Committees" (after 1889 some control passed to the elected county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
; the joint committee also had magistrates). The Police Act 1964
Police Act 1964
The Police Act 1964 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that updated the legislation governing police forces in England and Wales, constituted new police authorities, gave the Home Secretary new powers to supervise local constabularies, and allowed for the amalgamation of existing...
reconstituted these as police authorities with two-thirds elected members of county or borough councils, and one-third magistrates. Under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
the remaining borough police forces were abolished, and police authorities consisted of county councillors and magistrates in a ratio of two to one. The Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994 altered the composition of the authorities with independent members being added. A long list, from applications received, is submitted by a committee of elected members and magistrates to the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
. That committee then appoints the independent members from a shortlist returned by the Home Office.
Northern Ireland
The Police Authority for Northern Ireland was dissolved on 4 November 2001 and replaced by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.The Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board
Northern Ireland Policing Board
The Northern Ireland Policing Board is the police authority for Northern Ireland, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland...
, of which ten are members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
and nine are independent.
Overview
In ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, supervision of the territorial police forces is the responsibility of the elected local authority which either directly supervises the local police force where its border is conterminous with the force, or works through joint boards with neighbouring local authorities. The SCDEA is a special police force and is subject to supervision by the Scottish Police Services Authority whose Board consists of police force members, police authority members and lay members.
Single authority
The following police forces are supervised by one single local authority:| Police force | Local authority |
|---|---|
| Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the council area of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland.The police force was formed in 1948 as an amalgamation of the police forces of Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Wigtownshire, and preceded the creation of... |
Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973... |
| Fife Constabulary Fife Constabulary Fife Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council area of Fife.The area policed by Fife Constabulary has a resident population of just over 350,000, almost a third of whom live in one of the three principal towns of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes... |
Fife Fife Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire... |
Joint police boards
The following police forces are supervised by a joint board:| Police force | Joint board authorities |
|---|---|
| Central Scotland Police Central Scotland Police Central Scotland Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire . The headquarters of the force are at Randolphfield House in Stirling.... |
Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'.... , Falkirk Falkirk (council area) Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire... and Stirling Stirling (council area) Stirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 87,000 . It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former... |
| Grampian Police Grampian Police Grampian Police is the territorial police force of the northeast region of Scotland, covering the council areas of Aberdeenshire, the City of Aberdeen, and Moray . The Force area also covers some of the North Sea, giving Grampian Police the responsibility of policing the oil and gas platforms of... |
Aberdeenshire, the City of Aberdeen and Moray Moray Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :... |
| Lothian and Borders Police Lothian and Borders Police Lothian and Borders Police is the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian... |
The City of Edinburgh, East Lothian East Lothian East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh.... , Scottish Borders Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland... , Midlothian Midlothian Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas.... and West Lothian West Lothian West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire.... |
| Northern Constabulary Northern Constabulary The Northern Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for Northern Scotland, covering the Highland council area along with the Western Isles, the Orkney Isles and the Shetland Isles, which comprise most of the Highlands and Islands area... |
Highland Highland (council area) Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and... , Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland... |
| Strathclyde Police Strathclyde Police Strathclyde Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West... |
Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council... , East Ayrshire East Ayrshire East Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders on to North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway... , East Dunbartonshire East Dunbartonshire This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of... , East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975 it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde... , City of Glasgow, Inverclyde Inverclyde Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west... , North Ayrshire North Ayrshire North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South... , North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire... , Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east... , South Ayrshire South Ayrshire South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.... , South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages.... and West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East... |
| Tayside Police Tayside Police Tayside Police is the territorial police force covering the Scottish council areas of Angus, City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross . The total area covered by the force is with a population of 388,000.... |
Angus Angus Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City... , the City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre... |
Special Police Forces
Arrangements for Special Police Force authorities vary by legislative body within the UK.- British Transport Police AuthorityBritish Transport Police AuthorityThe British Transport Police Authority is the police authority that oversees the British Transport Police. A police authority is a governmental body in the United Kingdom that defines strategic plans for a police force and provides accountability so that the police function "efficiently and...
- The authority was created in 2004 by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament-Purposes of the Act:The purposes of the Act include:-*the creation of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch...
, it is made up of approximately 12-15 members, each of whom represents groups concerned with the control, operation or use of the railways. They include representatives of the railway operators, railway users (freight and passenger), employees and the appropriate government departments dealing with transport in England, Scotland and Wales.
- The British Transport PoliceBritish Transport PoliceThe British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
are responsible for policing railways in Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It was not created by any of the various Police Acts in Great Britain and consequently was not subject to the same requirements as a territorial police force.
- Civil Nuclear Police AuthorityCivil Nuclear Police AuthorityThe Civil Nuclear Police Authority is the police authority that oversees the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. A police authority is a body corporate in the United Kingdom that defines strategic plans for a police force and provides accountability so that the police function "efficiently and...
- The authority http://www.cnpa.police.uk/ was created in 2004 by the Energy Act 2004Energy Act 2004The Energy Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Section 198 - Short title, commencement and extent:The following orders have been made under this section:* *...
; it is made up of seven members; four are nominated by the nuclear industry, while the remaining three are the Chairman, the Police adviser and an independent member.
- The CNC is responsible for protecting civil nuclear installations and substances and was also created by legislation other than the national Police Acts. The CNC operates in Great Britain.
- Scottish Police Services AuthorityScottish Police Services AuthorityThe Scottish Police Services Authority is a Scottish public body of the Scottish Government responsible for certain central services for police forces in Scotland. It was established on the 1 April 2007, following the passing of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice Act 2006...
(which also deals with other police and criminal justice services in Scotland) is the police authority for the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency http://www.scdea.police.uk/ (SCDEA).
- The SCDEA is responsible for preventing and detecting serious organised crime (including drug trafficking) in Scotland.