The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2012

Access to premises on behalf of the Commission

36.—(1) Where—

(a) the Commission requires—

(i) a police and crime panel,

(ii) a relevant office holder, or

(iii) a chief officer of police

to allow a person nominated for the purpose by the Commission to have access to any premises occupied for the purposes of the functions of that panel, office holder or chief officer and to documents and other things on those premises, and

(b) the requirement is imposed for any of the purposes mentioned in paragraph (2),

it shall be the duty of the panel, the office holder or, as the case may be, the chief officer to secure that the required access is allowed to the nominated person.

(2) Those purposes are—

(a) the purposes of any examination by the Commission of the efficiency and effectiveness of the arrangements made in accordance with these Regulations for handling complaints or dealing with conduct matters;

(b) the purposes of any investigation carried out by the Commission or under its management in accordance with these Regulations.

(3) A requirement imposed under this regulation for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (2)(a) must be notified to the police and crime panel, relevant office holder or chief officer of police at least 48 hours before the time at which access is required.

(4) Where—

(a) a requirement imposed under this regulation for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (2)(a) requires access to any premises, document or thing to be allowed to any person, but

(b) there are reasonable grounds for not allowing that person to have the required access at the time at which he seeks to have it,

the obligation to secure that the required access is allowed shall have effect as an obligation to secure that the access is allowed to that person at the earliest practicable time after there cease to be any such grounds as that person may specify.

(5) The provisions of this regulation are in addition to, and without prejudice to—

(a) the rights of entry, search and seizure that are or may be conferred on—

(i) a person designated for the purposes of regulation 20 (investigations by the Commission itself), or

(ii) any person who otherwise acts on behalf of the Commission,

in his capacity as a constable or as a person with the powers and privileges of a constable; or

(b) the obligations on police and crime panels, relevant office holders and chief officers of police under regulation 6 (general duties of police and crime panels, relevant office holders and chief officers of police) and 35 (provision of information to the Commission).