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The United Kingdom is a unitary (as opposed to federal) state, and police forces, generally speaking, are organised at the level of Administrative District s. Certain departments of the Metropolitan Police operate throughout the country, including the Anti-Terrorist Branch , Royalty And Diplomatic Protection Department , and certain units of Special Branch . The new Serious Organised Crime Agency will also be a national agency that will work in all police areas. The smallest UK force is the City Of London Police . There are 42 police forces in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has a number of similar but independent Police services. Most of these operate in defined territorial areas (defined as Home Office police forces in England and Wales), which are typically Counties , groups of counties or larger Metropolitan Area s. The smallest geographical police force in the UK is the City Of London Force , which covers London's Square Mile . A small number of non- Home Office police forces also exist, such as the British Transport Police , the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), and the Ministry Of Defence Police , and have a more specialised, non-geographical remit. In addition to the regional constabularies, there are a small number of special police forces. The most notable of these is the British Transport Police , who are responsible for policing on Britain's Railway network. See List Of Police Forces In The United Kingdom for the current police forces. HISTORY Constable s had existed since Saxon times, but a modern-type police force did not start until the early 19th Century , with the introduction of a nationwide system of broadly similar local forces. T), shared by the English police forces of Avon And Somerset and Gloucestershire ]]
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ACCOUNTABILITY See Also: Police Authority In England and Wales a Police Authority , normally consisting of three Magistrate s, nine local Councillor s and five independent members, is responsible for overseeing each local force. They also have a duty under Law to ensure that their community gets Best Value from their police force. In Northern Ireland the Police Service Of Northern Ireland is supervised by the Northern Ireland Policing Board . In Scotland each Police force is overseen either by the Local Authority (for Fife Constabulary and Dumfries And Galloway Constabulary ) or by a Joint Board of the relevant authorities (all other forces). RANKS See UK Police Ranks . POLICE WEAPONS In the United Kingdom and some other countries of the British Police tradition, the police are not normally issued firearms, but are issued other weapons (batons, Pepper Spray , CS Spray etc.), although some officers may be issued firearms in special situations. This originates from the formation of the Metropolitan Police in the 19th Century , when police were not armed, partly to counter public fears and objections concerning armed enforcers. However, the Ministry Of Defence Police , Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Police Service Of Northern Ireland (formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary ) are issued firearms as a matter of routine. Every force can also call upon armed response units in a matter of minutes, and certain specialist squads, such as the Flying Squad , Special Branch , Diplomatic Protection Group , Royalty Protection Branch, and officers protecting airports and government buildings, are routinely armed. USE OF FIREARMS Unlike the police in most other countries, the British police are not routinely armed, except in Northern Ireland , at Airport s, Nuclear Facilities , and on some protection duties. The arming of the police is a perennial topic of debate. Officers on night patrols in some London divisions were frequently armed with Webley Revolver s (and, after the Battle Of Stepney , Webley Semi-automatics ) for over 50 years following the Murder of two officers in 1884 , though individual officers were able to choose whether to carry the weapons. The practice ended in July 1936 , after which arms could be issued by a sergeant if there was a ''good reason'', and if the officer had been trained. The issue of routine arming was next raised after the (Metropolitan Police Firearms Unit). In order to allow armed officers to rapidly attend an incident, weapons are now frequently carried in the secure armoury of patrolling Armed Response Vehicle s (ARVs). ARVs were modelled on the Instant Response Cars introduced by the West Yorkshire Police in 1976 , and were first introduced in London in 1991 , when 132 armed deployments were made. In a 1995 Ballot amongst members of the Police Federation Of England And Wales , over 75% of the vote was against routine arming. However, the huge increase in gun crime since the late 1990s is seen as a major issue. For the first time since 1936, the routine carrying of firearms on normal police patrols was re-introduced in Nottingham in February 2000 , in response to a number of gang related shootings on the St Ann's and Meadows estates. The shooting of an officer in Bradford in late 2005 led to the debate being re-opened. The Police Federation is conducting a repeat of the 1995 ballot. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4544188.stm As of September 2004 , all forces in England and Wales also have the Taser available, but it may only be used where a full firearms authority has been granted. The weapons carried routinely by ordinary police constables are currently an extending Baton and, in all but two county police services, personal issue incapacitating CS Spray . CS effects are designed to be short-lived, subsiding within 30-60 minutes and clearing even quicker in well-ventilated areas. Controversial shootings On the 22 September 1999 Harry Stanley , a painter and decorator, born in Bellshill near Glasgow , was shot dead by two Metropolitan Police officers. It later transpired that Mr Stanley was not carrying a firearm but a covered table leg. Following numerous enquiries both officers were exonerated after 6 years of court cases and inquiries. It was found that neither officer were liable for criminal charges nor would face any disciplinary sanctions. On 22 July 2005 , Jean Charles De Menezes , a Brazilian Electrician living in London , was shot dead by Metropolitan Police officers as he boarded an Underground Train at Stockwell Tube Station , in the belief he was a Suicide Bomber . While his shooting occurred as a result of the police investigation into the 21 July 2005 London Bombings , it was later revealed that he was unconnected with the attempted attacks. His family has called on the government to open a public inquiry into the shooting. policing an animal rights demonstration in Oxford]] The national media have often criticized the "Shoot to Kill" policy apparently adopted by police forces; however, no such policy exists. The police operate on a "Shoot to Stop" basis. This means that an officer taking the decision to shoot will aim for the area most likely to stop the target immediately - a tactical requirement to prevent a subject from continuing to pose a threat to the officer or to others. This area is, however, normally the centre of the body mass, and shots to this area can nevertheless often prove fatal. The police forces in the UK, like those in several other countries, operate on these bases since specific targeting is difficult even by the extremely high standards of police-trained marksmen. UNIFORM Although there are minor variations in the styling, pattern and Insignia , the police forces of Great Britain , Jersey , Guernsey , the Isle Of Man and Gibraltar all wear very similar Uniform s. In general, these have taken their lead from the Metropolitan Police , with changes appearing in that force first. The base colour is a very dark blue, almost indistinguishable from black (and these days often actually is black), which has earned the police the nickname of the "boys in blue". Formal uniform comprises an open-necked Tunic (with or without an attached Belt , depending on the force) and Trousers or Skirt , worn with a white or light blue Shirt and black Tie (usually clip-on, so it cannot be used to strangle the wearer). Although most forces once wore blue shirts, these have been less used since the 1980s (when the Metropolitan Police changed to white) and most now wear white. Officers of the rank of Inspector and above have always worn white shirts, and in many forces so have female officers. In some forces, female officers wear a black and white checked Cravat instead of a tie. Until the 1980s this was also the everyday working uniform, but today it is rarely seen except on formal occasions. The normal working dress retains the shirt (open-necked or with a tie or cravat) and trousers, worn with or without a Jersey or Fleece . Some forces use Combat Trousers and Boots . Today, female officers almost never wear a skirt in working dress, and frequently wear trousers in formal dress as well. Officers also frequently wear reflective waterproof Jacket s, which have replaced the old Greatcoat s and Cloak s traditionally worn in inclement weather. Most officers now wear Body Armour when on duty. Basic headgear is a Peaked Cap for men and a round Bowler style hat for women. All officers wear a black and white (red and white for the City Of London Police ) diced band around the hat, a distinction first used in Scotland and later adopted by all forces in Great Britain. Traffic officers wear white cap covers. On foot duty, male constables and sergeants wear the familiar conical custodian Helmet . There are several patterns, with different forces wearing different types. The helmet is not, however, worn in Scotland (although some Scottish forces did use helmets in the past). Uniform history The first uniform, which was a lighter blue than at present, was a high-collared Tailcoat , worn with white trousers in summer. The headgear was a hardened Top Hat , which served the dual purpose of protecting the officer from blows to the head and allowing him to use it as a step to climb or see over walls. The sleeves of the dark blue coats originally had a pattern of white bars, roughly 6 mm wide by 50 mm high, set roughly 6 mm apart. This immediately distinguished them from naval or maritime personnel. Although this feature was taken up in the Dominion s, it was not used in the USA. The tailcoat was later replaced by a tunic, still high-collared, and the top hat by the helmet (both adopted by the Metropolitan Police in 1863 ). The helmet badge was (and still is) based on the Brunswick Star . The tunic went through many lengths and styles, with the Metropolitan Police adopting the open-neck style in 1948 (although senior and female officers adopted it before that time). Senior officers used to wear peaked pillbox-style caps until the adoption of the wider peaked cap worn today. Female officers' uniforms have gone through a great variety of styles, as they have tended to reflect the women's fashions of the time. Tunic style, skirt length and headgear have varied by period and force. By the late 1980s , female working uniform was virtually identical to male, except for headgear and sometimes neckwear. POLICE VEHICLES The archetypal British "bobby" walked his beat alone. Apart from rapid response units, motor vehicles were rarely used except in rural districts (and even there, Bicycle s were more common). However, in the last few decades the police have become increasingly motorised and it is now rare to see an officer on foot patrol except in city or town centres, and then rarely alone, although police forces have recently begun to put more police back on the beat. Patrol cars, sometimes known as Panda Car s (or sometimes Jam Sandwich es), are in use everywhere and may be crewed by one or two officers. Except for rapid response and traffic patrol vehicles, they are generally smaller and less powerful than American vehicles. RECENT AND CURRENT ISSUES Evidence of corruption in the 1970s , serious urban Riot s and the police role in controlling industrial disorder in the 1980s, and the changing nature of police procedure made police accountability and control a major Political Football from the 1990s onwards. The Miners' Strike ( 1984 – 1985 ) saw thousands of police from various forces deployed against miners, frequently resulting in violent confontation. The presence of Freemasons in the police caused disquiet in the early 1990s. Despite attempts to end Racism and what has been described as " Institutionalised Racism " in the Police, especially since the 1993 Murder of Stephen Lawrence , there have been ongoing problems. At the same time, some commentators and citizens' groups have claimed that Political Correctness and excessive sensitivity to issues of race and class have reduced the effectiveness of the police force, not least for people living in deprived areas or members of minority groups themselves. In British National Party . The perceived absence of a visible police presence on the streets also frequently causes concern. This is partially being addressed by the introduction of uniformed civilian Police Community Support Officer s (PCSOs), following the passing of the Police Reform Act 2002 , although these have been criticised for being a cheap alternative to fully-trained police officers. {Link without Title} . At the beginning of 2005 it was announced that the Facial Recognition System s to identify known suspects; a future link to the proposed National Identity Register has been suggested by some. {Link without Title} A number of recent cases in which the police have intervened in matters of was investigated by police for stating the Islam ic view that homosexuality is a sin {Link without Title} . FUTURE In September 2005, in a report delivered to the Home Secretary, and the English Government Office Regions . Nearly all the existing forces are under the 4,000 limit, with only the Metropolitan Police , Greater Manchester Police , Merseyside Police , Northumbria Police , Thames Valley Police , West Midlands Police and West Yorkshire Police over the limit - see List Of Police Forces In England And Wales By Officers for a full list. Draft options were announced in November. Plan to cut police forces to 12 . BBC News. 10 November 2005. The Home Office has offered money to police authorities that decide to voluntarily merge ahead of schedule, and has consequently been accused of attempting to "bribe" unwilling Chief Constables into compliance. Clarke attacked on police reform . BBC News. 19 December 2005. The proposals were debated in the in the South East has suggested it could merge with Dorset Police in the South West, whilst there has also been a suggestion of North Wales Police increasing co-operation with Cheshire Police [http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/1/hi/wales/4387180.stm Merger 'to make policing worse']. BBC News. 28 October 2005.) On , 2006 . The new forces would come into being on April 1 , 2007 . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4771812.stm Police merger plans to go ahead]. BBC News. 3 March 2006. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4771438.stm Wales police merger to go ahead]. BBC News. 4 March 2006. A second batch of merger proposals were made on , and will finish on August 11 , with a target of April 1 , 2008 for the mergers coming into effect. Police merger plan given go-ahead . BBC News. 11 April 2006 The mergers proposed are: This leaves only the , and one for the rest of the the region, drawing together Avon And Somerset , Gloucestershire , Wiltshire and Dorset . A 2004 proposal by the Police Superintendents Association for the creation of a single national police force was rejected by the Association Of Chief Police Officers , and the government has thus far agreed. Senior police back national force . BBC News. 15 August 2004. SEE ALSO
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