Inspection of premises on behalf of the Commission
12.—(1) Where—
(a)the Commission requires—
(i)a local policing body maintaining any police force,
(ii)a chief officer of any such force, or
(iii)a contractor,
to allow a person nominated for the purpose by the Commission to have access to any premises occupied for the purpose of that force or a contractor and to documents or 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 body, the chief officer or, as the case may be, the contractor 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 by the force in question or the contractor for handling complaints or dealing with recordable conduct matters or DSI matters;
(b)the purposes of any investigation by the Commission under these Regulations or of any investigation carried out under its supervision or management.
(3) A requirement imposed under this regulation for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (2)(a) must be notified to the body, the chief officer or the contractor 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; and
(b)there are reasonable grounds for not allowing that person to have the required access at the time at which access is sought,
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 as that person may specify after there cease to be any grounds in accordance with sub-paragraph (b).
(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 45 (investigations by the Commission itself); or
(ii)any person who otherwise acts on behalf of the Commission,
in that person’s capacity as a constable or as a person with the powers and privileges of a constable; or
(b)the obligations of the local policing body, the chief officer or the contractor under regulations 9 and 11.