Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Police Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”) to reflect changes to policing governance and organisation in England and Wales made by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”).

Regulations 4 and 5 replace references to police authorities, which are abolished by the 2011 Act, with references to the local policing bodies that replace them under the Act. Local policing bodies are the police and crime commissioners elected for those police areas listed in Schedule 1 to the Police Act 1996, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in the case of the metropolitan police district and the Common Council in the case of the City of London police area.

Regulations 6 and 10 amend provisions concerning senior police officers to reflect the fact that, by virtue of the 2011 Act, these officers are appointed and dismissed by the chief officer of police (previously they had been appointed and dismissed by the police authority).

Regulation 7 inserts provision prohibiting the appointment of a person as a senior officer unless he has satisfactorily completed any course or assessment centre determined by the Secretary of State.

Regulation 8 inserts provisions specifying procedures to be followed where an elected local policing body (a police and crime commissioner or the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) proposes to call on a chief officer of police to retire or resign, or a chief officer proposes to call on a senior officer to retire or resign.

Regulation 9 amends a reference to police staff to reflect the fact that, by virtue of the 2011 Act, these staff will be employed by chief constables and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, but in the City of London they will continue to be employed by the Common Council.