Police area

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Acts Highway Act 1835 Police Act 1964 Police (Scotland) Act 1967 The Functions of Traffic Wardens Order 1970 Immigration Act 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986 Road Traffic Act 1988 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 Protection of Children Act 1989 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Police Act 1996 Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 Terrorism Act 2000 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 Police Reform Act 2002 Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 Crime and Courts Act 2013 Licensing Act 2003 Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 Policing and Crime Act 2017
Statutory instruments Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989
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A police area is the area for which a

.

Every location in the

and other non-territorial constabularies do not have police areas and their respective specialist areas of responsibility are shared with the relevant geographic territorial police force.

Ultimately the chief officer of a territorial police force has primacy over all law enforcement within his police area^[1] even if it is within the remit of a special police force such as the British Transport Police on the railway infrastructure, the Ministry of Defence Police on MOD property or a port constabulary on a port.^[2]

History

The Metropolitan Police District was the first example of a police area. Police areas were introduced with the passage of the Police Act 1964 and Police (Scotland) Act 1967, when a number of small (mainly county borough) police forces were merged with county ones.

The current system of police areas in England and Wales is set out by Section 1 of the Police Act 1996.

There are 43 police areas in England and Wales, most of which are defined by Schedule 1 of the 1996 act. They may be altered by order of the Home Secretary.^[3] The two other areas, the Metropolitan Police District and the City of London police area, are defined by Section 76 of the London Government Act 1963 and the City of London Police Act 1839 respectively.

Northern Ireland and Scotland each have only one territorial police force: the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and Police Service of Scotland.

See also

• Special-purpose district

References