Police Act 1996

98 Cross-border aid of one police force by another

(1) The chief officer of police of a police force in England or Wales may, on the application of the chief officer of a police force in Scotland or the chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, provide constables or other assistance for the purpose of enabling the Scottish force or the Royal Ulster Constabulary to meet any special demand on its resources.

(2) The chief officer of a police force in Scotland may, on the application of the chief officer of police of a police force in England or Wales or the chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, provide constables or other assistance for the purpose of enabling the English or Welsh force or the Royal Ulster Constabulary to meet any special demand on its resources.

(3) The chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary may, on the application of the chief officer of police of a police force in England or Wales or the chief officer of a police force in Scotland, provide constables or other assistance for the purpose of enabling the English or Welsh force or the Scottish force to meet any special demand on its resources.

(4) If it appears to the Secretary of State—

(a) to be expedient in the interests of public safety or order that a police force should be reinforced or should receive other assistance for the purpose of enabling it to meet any special demand on its resources, and

(b) that satisfactory arrangements under subsection (1), (2) or (3) cannot be made, or cannot be made in time,

he may direct the chief officer of police of any police force in England or Wales, the chief officer of any police force in Scotland or the chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, as the case may be, to provide such constables or other assistance for that purpose as may be specified in the direction.

(5) While a constable is provided under this section for the assistance of another police force he shall, notwithstanding any enactment,—

(a) be under the direction and control of the chief officer of police of that other force (or, where that other force is a police force in Scotland or the Royal Ulster Constabulary, of its chief officer or the chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary respectively); and

(b) have in any place the like powers and privileges as a member of that other force has in that place as a constable.

(6) The police authority maintaining a police force for which assistance is provided under this section shall pay to the police authority maintaining the force from which that assistance is provided such contribution as may be agreed upon between those authorities or, in the absence of any such agreement, as may be provided by any agreement subsisting at the time between all police authorities generally, or, in the absence of such general agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

(7) In the application of this section to Scotland, any expression used in this section and in the [1967 c. 77.] Police (Scotland) Act 1967 shall have the same meaning in this section as in that Act.

(8) In the application of this section to Northern Ireland, any expression used in this section and in the [1970 c. 9 (N.I.).] Police Act (Northern Ireland) 1970 shall have the same meaning in this section as in that Act.

(9) For the purposes of this section“constable”, in relation to Northern Ireland, means a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary or the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve.