Police Reform Act 2002

Power to take an arrested person to a police station E+W

34 (1) Where a designation applies this paragraph to any person—

(a) the persons who, in the case of a person arrested by a constable in the relevant police area, are authorised for the purposes of [F1 subsection (1A) of section 30] of the 1984 Act (procedure on arrest of person elsewhere than at a police station) to take the person arrested to a police station in that area shall include that person;

(b) that section shall have effect in relation to the exercise by that person of the power conferred by virtue of paragraph (a) as if the references to a constable in subsections (3), (4)(a) and (10) (but not the references in subsections (5) to (9)) included references to that person; and

(c) a person who is taking another person to a police station in exercise of the power conferred by virtue of paragraph (a)—

(i) shall be treated for all purposes as having that person in his lawful custody;

(ii) shall be under a duty [F2 to keep the person under control and] to prevent his escape; and

(iii) shall be entitled to use reasonable force to keep that person in his charge [F3 and under his control] .

[F4 (d) a person who has taken another person to a police station in exercise of the power conferred by virtue of paragraph (a)—

(i) shall be under a duty to remain at the police station until he has transferred control of the other person to the custody officer at the police station;

(ii) until he has so transferred control of the other person, shall be treated for all purposes as having that person in his lawful custody;

(iii) for so long as he is at the police station or in its immediate vicinity in compliance with, or having complied with, his duty under sub-paragraph (i), shall be under a duty to prevent the escape of the other person and to assist in keeping him under control; and

(iv) shall be entitled to use reasonable force for the purpose of complying with his duty under sub-paragraph (iii).]

(2) Without prejudice to any designation under paragraph 26, where a person has another in his lawful custody by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph—

(a) he shall have the same powers under subsections (6A) and (6B) of section 54 of the 1984 Act (non-intimate searches) as a constable has in the case of a person in police detention—

(i) to carry out a search of the other person; and

(ii) to seize or retain, or cause to be seized or retained, anything found on such a search;

(b) subsections (6C) and (9) of that section (restrictions on power to seize personal effects and searches to be carried out by a member of the same sex) shall apply to the exercise by a person to whom this paragraph is applied of any power exercisable by virtue of this sub-paragraph as they apply to the exercise of the power in question by a constable.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 4 para. 34(1)(a) substituted (20.1.2004) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), ss. 12, 336, Sch. 1 para. 20; S.I. 2004/81, art. 2(1)(2)(a)

F2 Words in Sch. 4 para. 34(1)(c)(ii) inserted (1.7.2005) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), ss. 122, 178, Sch. 9 para. 8(2)(a); S.I. 2005/1521, art. 3(1)(h)(j)

F3 Words in Sch. 4 para. 34(1)(c)(iii) added (1.7.2005) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), ss. 122, 178, Sch. 9 para. 8(2)(b); S.I. 2005/1521, art. 3(1)(h)(j)

F4 Sch. 4 para. 34(1)(d) added (1.7.2005) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), ss. 122, 178, Sch. 9 para. 8(3); S.I. 2005/1521, art. 3(1)(h)(j)