| ACPO | Association of Chief Police Officers |
| APA | Association of Police Authorities |
| ASBOs | Anti-social behaviour orders |
| BTP | British Transport Police |
| CDRPs | Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships |
| CPOSA | Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association |
| CPTDA | Central Police Training and Development Authority |
| DAATs | Drug and Alcohol Action Teams |
| DATs | Drug Action Teams |
| HMCIC | HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary |
| HMIC | Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary |
| “Home Office police forces” | The Metropolitan Police, City of London Police and the 41 other forces in England and Wales maintained for the police areas listed in Schedule 1 to the Police Act 1996. |
| “interested person” | Has the same meaning as in section 21 of the Act. |
| IPCC | Independent Police Complaints Commission |
| MDP | Ministry of Defence Police |
| MPA | Metropolitan Police Authority |
| NCIS | National Criminal Intelligence Service |
| NCS | National Crime Squad |
| NDPB | Non-Departmental Public Body |
| PACE | Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 |
| PITO | Police Information Technology Organisation |
| RTA 1988 | Road Traffic Act 1988 |
| RTRA 1984 | Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 |
| “sensitivity test” | means a test to determine whether the disclosure or publication of certain information would be prejudicial to national security, the prevention or detection of crime or similar. Such sensitivity tests are provided for in sections 2(6) and 20(6) of the Act. |
| “the 1996 Act” | means the Police Act 1996 |
| “the 1997 Act” | means the Police Act 1997 |
| “the MDP Act” | means the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987 |
| “TWA 1992” | means the Transport and Works Act 1992 |
| UKAEAC | United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary |
