Police Act 1964

Offences E+W

51 Assaults on constables. E+W

(1) Any person who assaults a constable in the execution of his duty, or a person assisting a constable in the execution of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

[F1 on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding [F2 level 5 on the standard scale] or to both].

(2) Subsection (2) of [F3 section 17 of the M1 Firearms Act 1968] (additional penalty for possession of firearms when committing certain offences) shall apply to offences under subsection (1) of this section.

(3) Any person who resists or wilfully obstructs a constable in the execution of his duty, or a person assisting a constable in the execution of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to a fine not exceeding [F4 level 3 on the standard scale], or to both.

[F5 (4) This section also applies to a constable who is a member of a police force maintained in Scotland or Northern Ireland when he is executing a warrant or otherwise acting in England or Wales by virtue of any enactment conferring powers on him in England and Wales.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by Criminal Law Act 1977 (c. 45), Sch. 1 para. 18

F2 Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46

F3 Words substituted by virtue of Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30), s. 17(2)(a)

F4 Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46

F5 S. 51(4) inserted (3.2.1995) by 1994 c. 33, s. 168(2), Sch. 10 para. 14; S.I. 1995/127, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 Appendix A

Marginal Citations

M1 1968 c. 27.

52 Impersonation, &c. E+W

(1) Any person who with intent to deceive impersonates a member of a police force or special constable, or makes any statement or does any act calculated falsely to suggest that he is such a member or constable, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding [F6 level 5 on the standard scale], or to both.

(2) Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F7 level 3 on the standard scale].

(3) Any person who, not being a member of a police force or special constable, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F8 level 1 on the standard scale].

(4) In this section “article of police uniform” means any article of uniform or any distinctive badge or mark or document of identification usually issued to members of police forces or special constables, or anything having the appearance of such an article, badge, mark or document; and “special constable” means a special constable appointed for a police area.

Textual Amendments

F6 Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c .48, SIF 39:1), ss. 39(2), 46, Sch. 3

F7 Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46

F8 Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46

53 Causing disaffection. E+W

(1) Any person who causes, or attempts to cause, or does any act calculated to cause, disaffection amongst the members of any police force, or induces or attempts to induce, or does any act calculated to induce, any member of a police force to withhold his services or to commit breaches of discipline, shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding £100, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.

(2) This section applies to special constables appointed for a police area as it applies to members of a police force.

[F9 53A Grants by local authorities. E+W

(1) The council of a county, district, county borough or London borough may make grants to any police authority established under section 3 of this Act whose police area falls wholly or partly within the county, district, county borough or borough.

(2) The council of a London borough, county, or district which falls wholly or partly within the metropolitan police district may make grants for police purposes to the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District.

(3) Grants under this section may be made unconditionally or, with the agreement of the chief officer of police for the police area concerned, subject to conditions.

(4) This section applies to the Council of the Isles of Scilly as it applies to a county council.]

Textual Amendments

F9 S. 53A inserted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 29, s. 24; S.I. 1994/3025, art. 4, Sch.

[F10 53B Acceptance of gifts and loans. E+W

(1) A police authority may, in connection with the discharge of any of its functions, accept gifts of money, and gifts or loans of other property, on such terms as the authority thinks fit.

(2) The terms on which gifts or loans are accepted under subsection (1) of this section may include terms providing for the commercial sponsorship of any activity of the police authority or of the police force maintained by it.

(3) In the application of this section to the metropolitan police, for the references to the police authority there shall be substituted references to the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District.]

Textual Amendments

F10 S. 53B inserted (1.10.1994) by 1994 c. 29, s. 25; S.I. 1994/2025, art. 5

[F11 53C Police officers engaged on service outside their force. E+W

(1) For the purposes of this section “relevant service” means—

(a) temporary service on which a person is engaged in accordance with arrangements made under section 15A(2) of this Act,

(b) central service (as defined in section 43(5) of this Act) on which a person is engaged with the consent of the appropriate authority,

(c) service the expenses of which are payable under section 1(1) of the M2 Police (Overseas Service) Act 1945, on which a person is engaged with the consent of the appropriate authority,

(d) service in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, on which a person is engaged with the consent of the Secretary of State and the appropriate authority, or

(e) service pursuant to an appointment under section 10 of the M3 Overseas Development and Co-operation Act 1980, on which a person is engaged with the consent of the appropriate authority.

(2) In subsection (1) of this section “appropriate authority” has the same meaning as in section 43 of this Act.

(3) Subject to subsections (4) to (7) of this section, a member of a police force engaged on relevant service shall be treated as if he were not a member of that force during that service; but, except where a pension, allowance or gratuity becomes payable to him out of money provided by Parliament by virtue of regulations made under the M4 Police Pensions Act 1976—

(a) he shall be entitled at the end of the period of relevant service to revert to his police force in the rank in which he was serving immediately before the period began, and

(b) he shall be treated as if he had been serving in that force during the period of relevant service for the purposes of any scale prescribed by or under regulations made under section 33 of this Act fixing his rate of pay by reference to his length of service.

(4) In the case of relevant service to which subsection (1)(c) of this section refers, the reference in subsection (3) to regulations made under the M5 Police Pensions Act 1976 shall be read as including a reference to regulations made under section 1 of M6 the Police (Overseas Service) Act 1945.

(5) A person may, when engaged on relevant service, be promoted in his police force as if he were serving in that force; and in any such case—

(a) the reference in paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section to the rank in which he was serving immediately before the period of relevant service began shall be construed as a reference to the rank to which he is promoted, and

(b) for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (b) of that subsection he shall be treated as having served in that rank from the time of his promotion.

(6) A member of a police force who—

(a) has completed a period of relevant service within paragraph (a), (b) or (e) of subsection (1) of this section, or

(b) while engaged on relevant service within paragraph (c) of that subsection, is dismissed from that service by the disciplinary authority established by regulations made under section 1 of the M7 Police (Overseas Service) Act 1945 or is required to resign as an alternative to dismissal, or

(c) while engaged on relevant service within paragraph (d) of that subsection, is dismissed from that service or is required to resign as an alternative to dismissal,

may be dealt with under regulations made in accordance with subsection (3) of section 33 of this Act for anything done or omitted while he was engaged on that service as if that service had been service in his police force; and section 37 of this Act shall apply accordingly.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (6) of this section a certificate certifying that a person has been dismissed, or required to resign as an alternative to dismissal, shall be evidence of the fact so certified, if—

(a) in a case within paragraph (b) of that subsection, it is given by the disciplinary authority referred to in that paragraph, or

(b) in a case within paragraph (c) of that subsection, it is given by or on behalf of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, or such other person or authority as may be designated for the purposes of this subsection by order of the Secretary of State.]

Textual Amendments

F11 S. 53C inserted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 29, s. 26; S.I. 1994/3262, art. 4, Sch.

Marginal Citations

M2 1945 c. 17.

M3 1980 c. 63.

M4 1976 c. 35.

M5 1976 c. 35.

M6 1945 c. 17.

M7 1945 c. 17.