General Police Duties
Syllabus Notes

A person other than a constable may arrest without warrant under s.24A, but the power is much narrower than a constable's. The table compares the two.

Two points are easy to miss. First, s.24A(2) only applies where an indictable offence has been committed: someone who arrests a person they believe is guilty of an offence that turns out never to have happened cannot rely on that limb. Second, a constable who takes over a citizen's arrest must take the person to a police station as soon as practicable under s.30(1)(b) and (1A), and the s.28 information duties still apply.

Code B para 3.1 requires the officer to take reasonable steps to check that the information is accurate, recent and not provided maliciously or irresponsibly, and says an application may not be made on the basis of an anonymous source if corroboration has not been sought. The application must be supported by a signed written authority from an inspector or above (para 3.4(a)); in an urgent application to a justice of the peace where an inspector is not readily available, the next most senior officer on duty can give it. Superintendent authority applies instead to certain applications to a judge under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the National Security Act 2023 (para 3.4(b)).

Entry by consent is a separate route. Code B para 5.1 requires the consent of a person entitled to grant entry, in writing on the Notice of Powers and Rights if practicable. The person must be told they need not consent, that consent can be withdrawn at any time including during the search, and that anything seized may be produced in evidence (para 5.2). Search cannot continue if consent is given under duress or withdrawn (para 5.3). In a lodging house, hostel or similar accommodation, every reasonable effort should be made to get the consent of the individual occupier, and a search should not be made solely on the landlord's consent (Note 5A).

These are our own selection of recurring distinctions in the law above, based on the statute and Codes, not on any inside knowledge of the paper. Each is a place where a plausible-looking wrong option exists.

• What the Manuals say. We read statute and Codes on legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK, and chapter headings in the handbook. We did not read the Blackstone's text, so how a chapter words or emphasises a point may differ. The exam tests the law as it appears in the Manuals edition for the sitting.
• Recent amendments. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 amends parts of PACE and the CJPOA 1994 (for example, s.60(9B) was inserted on 29 June 2026). We did not review every 2026 amendment and cannot say which the 2026 or 2027 Manuals reflect. Law that changes after publication is examined only if the College gives notice.
• Public Order Act 2023 powers. We checked ss.11 and 12 (rank, belief test, 24-hour maximum, extension, informing a superintendent). We did not check s.10 or the offences in s.11(1)(a) in detail, and the Manuals may cover them elsewhere.
• Case law. We deliberately left out case names because we could not confirm holdings from a primary source we could open.
• Other arrest and search powers. Mental Health Act powers, Terrorism Act powers, arrest under warrant, road check powers under s.4 PACE and drug-driving or firearms search powers are in the Manuals but not covered here. Chapter 3.3 and other sections of these notes cover some of them.

Yes. Section 57 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 removed the words 'or insulting' from s.5(1) and s.6(4) of the Public Order Act 1986, with effect from 1 February 2014. The amendment note on s.5 on legislation.gov.uk records it as a substitution of words by S.I. 2013/2981. On 4 October 2026 the page for s.5 showed no later amendments and said there were no known outstanding effects on that section. Sections 4 and 4A were not amended and still include 'insulting'.

So the safe memory aid is: s.4 and s.4A, threatening, abusive or insulting; s.5, threatening or abusive. Disorderly behaviour is in s.4A and s.5 but not in s.4. Be wary of older revision notes and older question banks, which describe s.5 as covering insulting words or behaviour.

Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 creates aggravated versions of ss.4, 4A and 5 where the offence is racially or religiously aggravated. The penalties are higher: for aggravated s.4 and s.4A, 6 months or a fine up to the statutory maximum or both summarily, or 2 years or a fine or both on indictment (s.31(4)); for aggravated s.5, a fine up to level 4 (s.31(5)). For the aggravated s.5 offence the person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress is treated as the victim when deciding whether the hostility test is met (s.31(7)).

Section 145 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will amend this. Subsection (6) replaces 'racially or religiously aggravated' in s.31(1) and the cross-reference in s.31(7) with 'aggravated' as newly defined in a substituted s.28, which widens the hostility grounds to include disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity (and sex, for s.31(1)(a) and (c)). On 4 October 2026 legislation.gov.uk showed s.145 as prospective, with no commencement date appointed, so the text above is the law in force that day. Check the Manuals edition and any College notice for your sitting. The ss.1 to 3 offences have no aggravated version in the Act; hostility is then dealt with at sentencing.

• What the Manuals say. We did not have the Manuals. These notes rest on the statutes and on the verified question bank; the exam tests the Manuals' text for your sitting.
• Case law beyond Howell, including Laporte. We could not open case reports from our reading environment, so we have not set out the holdings in cases on imminence or on the person of reasonable firmness beyond what the verified question bank states.
• Commencement of the 2026 aggravation changes. Section 145 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (amending the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 ss.28 and 31) was shown as not in force on 4 October 2026. We did not look for any later commencement regulations, so check before your sitting.
• Penalties for s.14A to s.14C and the Public Order Act 2023 offences. Not covered in detail here; use the Manuals.

Regulation 2(1) contains the two definitions the whole system turns on. Candidates mix up the thresholds more often than they forget them. The next section looks at how to apply the threshold as a supervisor.

• Misconduct means a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify disciplinary action.
• Gross misconduct means a breach of the Standards that is so serious as to justify dismissal. For the purposes of the Regulations, conduct which has resulted in conviction of an indictable-only offence is taken to constitute such a breach (an amendment in force since 28 May 2025, applying to allegations that came to attention from that date).
• Practice requiring improvement means underperformance or conduct not amounting to misconduct or gross misconduct which falls short of the expectations of the public and the police service (reg 2(7)). It is dealt with by the reflective practice review process, not disciplinary proceedings.
• Disciplinary action is a defined list, in order of seriousness starting with the least serious: a written warning, a final written warning, reduction in rank, and dismissal without notice.
• Conduct includes acts, omissions, statements and decisions, whether actual, alleged or inferred.

Appropriate authority

• The chief officer of police of the force concerned, or the local policing body where the officer concerned is a chief officer or acting chief officer (reg 2(1)).
• It may delegate functions to a police officer of at least the rank of inspector, or a police staff member of at least similar seniority (reg 2(3)).
• Suspension decisions under regulations 11 and 11A, and a decision to certify an accelerated case, must be authorised by a senior officer when delegated (reg 2(4)). Where those functions are delegated, a decision that the suspension condition is not met after an arrest, or questioning under caution, for a listed offence must be authorised by the chief officer, or an assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police (reg 2(4ZA)).
• For a hearing, the appropriate authority can delegate administration (not representing it at the hearing) to another force's chief officer (reg 26). The force of the officer is then the originating authority.
• At a hearing the authority may be represented by a relevant lawyer whether or not the officer is legally represented (reg 8(5)(b)). At a meeting it is represented by a police officer or staff member.

The police friend

• Who: a police officer, a police staff member, or a person nominated by the officer's staff association, who is not otherwise involved in the matter (reg 7(1)). For constables to chief inspectors the staff association is the Police Federation.
• What they can do: advise throughout; represent the officer at a meeting, hearing or appeal meeting unless the officer is legally represented and chooses a lawyer; make representations to the appropriate authority; and accompany the officer to any interview, meeting or hearing (reg 7(2)).
• What they cannot do: answer questions asked of the officer, in interviews or in proceedings (regs 20(9), 41(9)).
• Duty time: where the police friend is an officer or staff member, their chief officer must allow a reasonable amount of duty time (reg 7(3)).
• Written documents: notices can be given to the officer in person, by email or electronic means, by the police friend where agreed, or in another agreed way, with a deemed service rule: an email sent on a working day before 4.30pm is taken to be given that day, otherwise the next working day (reg 9).

For what Federation representation and legal cover look like in practice, see Federation representation and legal support.

Chapter 3.18 covers performance and attendance. This is a short summary of the current Regulations, which were cut from three stages to two with effect from 28 May 2025 (for matters that came to the line manager's attention from that date; earlier matters stay under the old three-stage rules). Our guide to gross incompetence and unsatisfactory performance has more.

• Who: police officers up to chief superintendent. Not above that rank, and not probationer constables (reg 2(2)). Probationers are dealt with under regulation 13 of the Police Regulations 2003.
• Definitions: unsatisfactory performance or attendance is an inability or failure to perform the duties of the role or rank to a satisfactory standard or level (reg 4(2)). Gross incompetence is a serious inability or serious failure to perform the duties of the rank or role to a satisfactory standard or level, without taking attendance into account, to the extent that dismissal would be justified (reg 4(1)).
• First stage: the line manager may require the officer to attend a first stage meeting (reg 15), arranged by written notice that lists the possible outcomes and the police friend and staff association rights (reg 16). The line manager conducts it, with an HR professional or police officer able to advise (reg 17).
• If unsatisfactory: the officer is told what improvement is required and the period for it, which must be three months unless the line manager considers circumstances justify a longer, reasonable period not exceeding 12 months (reg 17(6A)). A written improvement notice follows, valid for 12 months from its date (reg 18(4)).
• Appeal from the first stage: to the appeal manager, on four grounds (unreasonable finding, unreasonable terms, new evidence, breach of procedure or unfairness) with notice within 7 working days and the appeal meeting within 7 working days of receiving the notice (reg 19).
• Second stage: if there is not sufficient improvement in the period, or it is not maintained during the rest of the validity period, the officer can be required to attend a second stage meeting (reg 30). It must be within 30 working days of notice (reg 38). The panel is a chair (above chief superintendent, or a senior HR professional) and two other members, including at least one police officer and one HR professional, each at least the officer's rank or equivalent (reg 34).
• Gross incompetence: where the appropriate authority decides performance constitutes gross incompetence, the officer can be required to attend a second stage meeting without a first stage meeting (reg 32). The right to be legally represented applies at a second stage meeting that the officer is required to attend under regulation 32, that is gross incompetence or an IOPC-directed case (reg 6(1)). At other second stage meetings the representative is a police friend.
• Outcomes: following a regulation 30 second stage: dismissal with notice (minimum 28 days), reduction in rank, redeployment, or in exceptional circumstances an extension of the improvement notice. For gross incompetence: dismissal with immediate effect, reduction in rank, a written improvement notice or redeployment (reg 46). No reduction in rank where the matter is attendance or the officer is a special constable.
• Appeal: from a second stage finding to the Police Appeals Tribunal (PAT Rules, rule 5), heard in private for performance appeals (rule 22(2)).

• What each Manuals edition says. We did not read Blackstone's text. We cannot say whether the 2026 or 2027 edition reflects the 2024, 2025 or 2026 amendments, and the exam tests the edition for the sitting.
• Whether the 2026 edition's text describes two or three performance stages. Its contents list still shows a third stage heading; the 2027 list does not. The statute has two stages since 28 May 2025.
• Which edition the March 2026 breakdown relates to. The PDF does not say. Our count of 3 questions in these chapters is for that sitting only.
• Whether the accelerated hearing for a non-senior officer has a legally qualified adviser. Regulation 55(4A) to (4C) provides for a legally qualified adviser by reference to the paragraph (4) panel, which is the senior-officer panel, and regulation 63(1A) to (1D) is tied to that panel's chair. For an officer below senior rank, regulation 55(1) provides only that the chief officer (or a delegate) conducts the hearing. We have not confirmed whether an adviser is appointed in practice, so we do not claim one.
• Currency of the Police Appeals Tribunals Rules text. The legislation.gov.uk copy we read was marked as updated to June 2025. We did not check whether any later instrument amends them.
• Appeals by chief officers, local policing bodies or the IOPC. Section 204 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (in force 29 September 2026) inserted powers in section 85(1A) to (1C) of the Police Act 1996 to make rules for these appeals. On 5 October 2026 legislation.gov.uk showed no amendment to the Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2020 using that power, so we describe only officer appeals. Section 197 of the same Act (an accelerated investigation procedure for criminal conduct) was still marked as prospective.
• IOPC and Complaints and Misconduct Regulations detail. We read regulation 9 for the DSI referral timing but did not work through the Police Reform Act 2002 Schedule 3 or the rest of the Complaints and Misconduct Regulations. Cases the IOPC handles follow a partly different path.
• College guidance and case law. We did not use College of Policing guidance on outcomes or published tribunal decisions as sources, and we cite no case law in this section.