Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000

Part III District and community policing arrangements

District policing partnerships

14 Establishment of district policing partnerships

(1) Each district council shall establish for its district a body to be known as the district policing partnership.

(2) Schedule 3 shall have effect in relation to a district policing partnership.

(3) In this Part “district council” and “district” (except in the expression “police district”) have the same meanings as in the [1972 c. 9.] Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.

(4) In this Part “the district”, in relation to a district policing partnership, means the district of the council by which it is established.

(5) In this Part—

• “district commander” means a police officer designated under section 20(3); and

• “local policing plan” has the meaning given in section 22(1).

15 Default of council

(1) If the Secretary of State is satisfied that a district council has failed to comply with—

(a) section 14(1), or

(b) any provision of Schedule 3,

he may, after consulting the Board, direct the council to take, within such period as is specified in the direction, such action for the purpose of remedying the default as is so specified.

(2) If a district council fails to comply with a direction under subsection (1), the Secretary of State may—

(a) declare the council to be in default; and

(b) make an order empowering the Board to exercise the functions of that council to such extent as appears to him necessary or expedient to secure that a district policing partnership is duly established for the district of the council.

(3) An order under subsection (2) may provide for Schedule 3 to have effect in relation to the exercise by the Board of any functions of the district council with such modifications as may be specified in the order.

(4) An order under subsection (2) may confer on the Board power to remove any members of a district policing partnership holding office at the date of the order.

(5) Any costs incurred by the Board under an order under subsection (2) shall in the first instance be defrayed as expenses of the Board, but—

(a) an amount equal to one quarter of those costs as certified by the Board shall on demand be paid to the Board by the council; and

(b) any sums demanded under paragraph (a) may be recovered summarily by the Board as a debt.

16 General functions of district policing partnerships

(1) The functions of a district policing partnership shall be—

(a) to provide views to the district commander for any police district which is, or is included in, the district and to the Board on any matter concerning the policing of the district;

(b) to monitor the performance of the police in carrying out—

(i) the policing plan in relation to the district; and

(ii) the local policing plan applying to the district or any part of the district;

(c) to make arrangements for obtaining—

(i) the views of the public about matters concerning the policing of the district; and

(ii) the co-operation of the public with the police in preventing crime;

(d) to act as a general forum for discussion and consultation on matters affecting the policing of the district; and

(e) such other functions as are conferred on it by any other statutory provision.

(2) In exercising its functions, a district policing partnership shall have regard to a code of practice under section 19.

17 Annual report by district policing partnership to council

(1) A district policing partnership shall, not later than 3 months after the end of each financial year, submit to the district council a general report on the exercise of its functions during that year.

(2) When a district policing partnership submits its report under subsection (1), it shall at the same time send a copy of the report to the Board.

(3) A report under this section shall include details of the arrangements made under section 16(1)(c).

(4) Before submitting any report under this section, a district policing partnership shall consult the district commander of any police district which is, or is included in, the district.

(5) The district council shall arrange for a report submitted under this section to be published in such manner as appears to the council to be appropriate.

18 Reports by district policing partnership to Board

(1) A district policing partnership shall, whenever so required by the Board, submit to the Board a report on any such matter connected with the exercise of its functions as may be specified in the requirement.

(2) A report under this section shall be made—

(a) in such form as may be specified in the requirement under subsection (1); and

(b) within the period of three months from the date on which that requirement is made, or within such longer period as may be agreed between the district policing partnership and the Board.

(3) The Board may arrange for a report under this section to be published in such manner as appears to the Board to be appropriate.

19 Code of practice for district policing partnerships

(1) The Board shall issue, and may from time to time revise, a code of practice containing guidance as to the exercise by district policing partnerships of their functions.

(2) The Board shall obtain the agreement of the Secretary of State before issuing a code of practice, or revised code of practice, under this section.

(3) Before issuing or revising a code of practice under this section the Board shall consult—

(a) district councils; and

(b) the Chief Constable.

(4) The code of practice under this section may in particular include provisions concerning—

(a) the procedures for meetings of a district policing partnership;

(b) the holding of public meetings by a district policing partnership;

(c) the arrangements for giving notice of meetings, and in particular for the giving of such notice to district commanders and to the public;

(d) the arrangements for the submission by or to a district policing partnership of reports and other documents;

(e) the arrangements for enabling questions on the discharge by police officers of their functions in the district to be put by members of the district policing partnership for answer by the district commander of any police district which is, or is included in, the district or a police officer nominated by him for the purpose;

(f) the arrangements for the monitoring of the performance of the police in carrying out—

(i) the policing plan in relation to the district; and

(ii) the local policing plan applying to the district or any part of the district;

(g) the arrangements to be made by a district policing partnership as a result of section 16(1)(c);

(h) the arrangements for dealings with the Board.

(5) The Board shall arrange for any code of practice issued or revised under this section to be published in such manner as appears to it to be appropriate.

Police districts

20 Police districts

(1) Each district, other than Belfast, shall be a police district.

(2) In the district of Belfast there shall be such number of police districts (not exceeding 4), as may be determined by the Chief Constable; and each such police district shall consist of such area as may be so determined.

(3) For each police district the Chief Constable shall designate as district commander a police officer of the required rank.

(4) In any statutory provision—

(a) for any reference to a police sub-division there shall be substituted a reference to a police district established under this section;

(b) for any reference to a sub-divisional commander there shall be substituted a reference to a district commander designated under this section.

(5) “Required rank” means a rank not less than that of chief inspector.

21 District policing partnership sub-groups for Belfast

(1) The district council for Belfast shall establish a sub-group of its district policing partnership for each police district established under section 20(2).

(2) The function of each sub-group shall be to provide views to the district commander of the sub-group’s police district and to the district policing partnership on any matter concerning the policing of that police district.

(3) Each sub-group shall consist of at least six members of the partnership.

(4) The members of a sub-group shall be appointed by the partnership.

(5) The members of a sub-group shall appoint a member to act as chairman of the sub-group.

(6) If they are unable to agree on whom to appoint as chairman, the partnership shall appoint the chairman.

(7) The code issued under section 19 may contain guidance as to the exercise by sub-groups of their functions.

22 The local policing plan

(1) Each district commander shall issue, and may from time to time revise, a plan (“the local policing plan”) setting out the proposed arrangements for the policing of the police district.

(2) The local policing plan may relate to matters to which the policing plan also relates, or to other matters, but in any event shall be so framed as to be consistent with the policing plan.

(3) Before issuing or revising a local policing plan, the district commander shall consult the district policing partnership whose district is, or includes, the police district and take account of any views expressed.

(4) The district commander shall arrange for the local policing plan issued or revised under this section to be published in such manner as appears to him to be appropriate.

Other community policing arrangements

23 Other community policing arrangements

(1) A district policing partnership may, with the approval of the Board, make arrangements to facilitate consultation by the police with any local community within the district.

(2) Where it appears to the Board that a district policing partnership has not made satisfactory arrangements under subsection (1) in relation to any local community, the Board may, after consultation with the district policing partnership, make arrangements to facilitate consultation by the police with that community.

(3) Arrangements made under subsection (1) or (2) may include the establishment of bodies.

(4) The Board may defray the reasonable expenses of any body established by virtue of subsection (3).

(5) Before making any arrangements under this section a district policing partnership or the Board shall consult the Chief Constable as to the arrangements that would be appropriate.