Police and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1994

Valid from 01/10/1994

4 Functions of police authorities. E+W

For section 4 of the 1964 Act there shall be substituted—

“4 General functions of police authorities.

(1) It shall be the duty of every police authority established under section 3 of this Act to secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for its area.

(2) In discharging its functions, every police authority established under section 3 of this Act shall have regard to—

(a) any objectives determined by the Secretary of State under section 28A of this Act,

(b) any objectives determined by the authority under section 4A,

(c) any performance targets established by the authority, whether in compliance with a direction under section 28B or otherwise, and

(d) any local policing plan issued by the authority under section 4B.

(3) In discharging any function to which a code of practice issued under section 28C of this Act relates, a police authority established under section 3 of this Act shall have regard to the code.

(4) A police authority shall comply with any direction given to it by the Secretary of State under section 28B or 28D of this Act.

4A Local policing objectives.

(1) Every police authority established under section 3 of this Act shall, before the beginning of each financial year, determine objectives for the policing of the authority’s area during that year.

(2) Objectives determined under this section may relate to matters to which objectives determined under section 28A of this Act also relate, or to other matters, but in any event shall be so framed as to be consistent with the objectives determined under that section.

(3) Before determining objectives under this section a police authority shall—

(a) consult the chief constable for the area, and

(b) consider any views obtained by it in accordance with arrangements made under section 106 of the M1 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (arrangements for obtaining the views of the community on policing).

4B Local policing plans.

(1) Every police authority established under section 3 of this Act shall, before the beginning of each financial year, issue a plan setting out the proposed arrangements for the policing of the authority’s area during the year (“the local policing plan").

(2) The local policing plan shall include a statement of the authority’s priorities for the year, of the financial resources expected to be available and of the proposed allocation of those resources, and shall give particulars of—

(a) any objectives determined by the Secretary of State under section 28A of this Act,

(b) any objectives determined by the authority under section 4A, and

(c) any performance targets established by the authority, whether in compliance with a direction under section 28B or otherwise.

(3) A draft of the local policing plan shall be prepared by the chief constable for the area and submitted by him to the authority for it to consider.

(4) Before issuing a local policing plan which differs from the draft submitted by the chief constable under subsection (3) of this section, a police authority shall consult the chief constable.

(5) A police authority shall arrange for the local policing plan to be published in such manner as appears to it to be appropriate, and shall send a copy of the plan to the Secretary of State.

4C Annual reports by police authorities.

(1) As soon as possible after the end of each financial year every police authority established under section 3 shall issue a report relating to the policing of the authority’s area for the year.

(2) A report issued under this section for any year by a police authority shall include an assessment of the extent to which the local policing plan for that year has been carried out.

(3) A police authority shall arrange for every report issued by it under this section to be published in such manner as appears to it to be appropriate, and shall send a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.”

Commencement Information

I1 S. 4 wholly in force at 1.4.1995; s. 4 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 94(1); s. 4 in force for certain purposes (1.10.1994) by S.I. 1994/2025, art. 6(1)(2)(a)(3)-(6); s. 4 in force (1.4.1995) insofar as not already in force by S.I. 1994/3262, art. 4(1), Sch. (with transitional provision in art. 4(2)) (which S.I. was amended (14.3.1995) by S.I. 1995/246, art. 2(2)(3))

Marginal Citations

M1 1984 c. 60.