The police
Police powers
The police have a wide range of powers that they use as part of their work to stop crime and protect law-abiding people.
The powers police use are set out under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), which was designed to balance the powers of the police with the rights and freedoms of the general public.
The PACE codes of practice set out police powers, including custody and stop and search.
Special constable powers
Specials are volunteer police officers, and they, too, have full police powers.
Community support officer powers
Community support officers (CSOs) work alongside police officers. They have fewer powers than police officers and specials. They have the power to issue fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour, for example, but not to conduct a stop and search.
Explore this section:
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What does being cautioned mean?
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Find out what happens in custody and how long you can be detained
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What happens when you're stopped for a road traffic violation?
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In the current climate stop and search is being used more widely - find out more
