Police Act 1996

32 Power to alter police areas by order. E+W

(1) The Secretary of State may by order make alterations in police areas in England and Wales other than the City of London police area.

(2) The alterations that may be made by an order under this section include alterations that result in a reduction or an increase in the number of police areas, but not alterations that result in the abolition of the metropolitan police district.

(3) The Secretary of State shall not exercise his power under this section to make alterations unless F1 ...—

(a) he has received a request to make the alterations from the [F2 local policing body] for each of the areas F3 ... affected by them, or

(b) it appears to him to be expedient to make the alterations in the interests of efficiency or effectiveness [F4 , or

(c) the order is made in connection with the functions of a police and crime commissioner becoming exercisable by the mayor for the area of a mayoral strategic authority.]

[F5 (3A) For that purpose, an order “is made in connection with the functions of a police and crime commissioner becoming exercisable by the mayor for the area of a mayoral strategic authority” if—

(a) the police areas that are altered by the order are all in England, and

(b) the Secretary of State’s purpose in making the order is to—

(i) cause a mayoral strategic authority to meet the eligibility condition in relation to an altered police area, and

(ii) enable the Secretary of State to specify a transfer time in relation to that mayoral strategic authority and altered police area that will result in the mayor for the area of the mayoral strategic authority exercising functions of a police and crime commissioner in relation to that area.]

(4) The Secretary of State shall exercise his power to make orders under this section in such a way as to ensure that [F6 no police area falls partly in England and partly in Walesand that ] none of the following areas—

(a) a county in which there are no district councils,

(b) a district in any other county,

(c) a county borough in Wales, and

(d) a London borough,

is divided between two or more police areas.

[F7 (4A) In this section—

• “eligibility condition” has the same meaning as in—

  (a)

  section 107FA of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, or

  (b)

  section 33A of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023;

• “mayoral strategic authority” means—

  (a)

  a mayoral combined authority (which has the same meaning as in Part 6 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 — see section 107A(8) of that Act), or

  (b)

  a mayoral CCA (which has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 — see section 27(8) of that Act);

• “transfer time” has the same meaning as in—

  (a)

  section 107FA of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, or

  (b)

  section 33A of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.]

F8 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 32(3) omitted (29.6.2026) by virtue of English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 23), ss. 47(4)(a)(i), 108(5) (with s. 102)

F2 Words in s. 32(3)(a) substituted (25.4.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 10 para. 5(2); S.I. 2012/1129, art. 2(g)

F3 Words in s. 32(3)(a) repealed (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, ss. 325, 423, Sch. 27 para. 84(2), Sch. 34 Pt. VII (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/1648, art. 2, Sch.

F4 S. 32(3)(c) and word inserted (29.6.2026) by English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 23), ss. 47(4)(a)(ii), 108(5) (with s. 102)

F5 S. 32(3A) inserted (29.6.2026) by English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 23), ss. 47(4)(a)(ii), 108(5) (with s. 102)

F6 Words in s. 32(4) inserted (25.4.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 10 para. 5(3); S.I. 2012/1129, art. 2(g)

F7 S. 32(4A) inserted (29.6.2026) by English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 23), ss. 47(4)(b), 108(5) (with s. 102)

F8 S. 32(5) repealed (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 29, ss. 325, 423, Sch. 27 para. 84(3) Sch. 34 Pt. VII (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 1999/3271, art. 4(b)(c)(d)