Part I Organisation of Police Forces

Alteration of police areas

32 Power to alter police areas by order.

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 either—

a

he has received a request to make the alterations from the F4local policing body for each of the areas F1... affected by them, or

b

it appears to him to be expedient to make the alterations in the interests of efficiency or effectiveness.

4

The Secretary of State shall exercise his power to make orders under this section in such a way as to ensure that F3no 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.

F25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .