Community safety accreditation schemes enable the chief constable of a police force in the United Kingdom (Except Scotland [1] ) to grant a limited range of police powers to employees of non-police organisations bolstering community safety. Community safety accreditation schemes were created under section 40 of the Police Reform Act 2002. [2] Individuals who have been granted these powers are known under the Act as accredited persons.
A chief constable may grant some or all of the following powers to an accredited person as part of a community safety accreditation scheme: [3]
The powers available to individuals accredited under a community safety accreditation scheme are similar to those of a police community support officer (PCSO), although PCSOs are designated with powers by the chief constable, as opposed to being accredited with them as non-employees.
The Act also makes it a criminal offence to assault, resist or obstruct an accredited person in the execution of their duty, or impersonate an accredited person.
A person accredited under a community safety accreditation scheme has to be assessed as suitable to exercise the powers, trained by an Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) approved provider in their use, and vetted to a national standard. The Act also requires that the organisation employing an accredited person must be 'fit and proper' and that they must have a satisfactory complaints procedure in place. [4]
An accredited person remains under the control of their normal employer, and is not managed or tasked by the police force. Some accredited persons are tasked by their respective police force to conduct patrols, attend incidents and gather intel, such as the community protection officers of Nottingham City Council who work with Nottinghamshire Police. These officers carry police Airwave radios and are dispatched to incidents by the force control room.
Accredited Persons must wear a uniform approved by the police when exercising their powers, and carry an ID card which also shows the powers they are authorised to use. Some forces print the powers on the back of the ID card, while others give the employees a separate powers card specifically for this.
Common examples of employees granted powers under a community safety accreditation scheme include security guards, community, parish, park and dog wardens, trading standards officers, and housing association staff.
In the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area, examples of Schemes include: [5]
In the Essex Police area, employees of a number of organisations have been accredited: [6]
In the South Yorkshire Police area, employees of a number of organisations have been accredited: [7]
In the Nottinghamshire Police area:
An audit published by the Home Office in August 2008 [8] showed that 21 out of 42 police forces had granted Accredited Person status to a total of 1,406 people in 95 organisations. Nineteen of the employing organisations were private companies. Essex Police had accredited the most people—291 individuals in 25 organisations.
The powers which had been granted most widely (by more than 20 forces) were the power to seize alcohol from a person aged under 18 in a designated place, the power to seize tobacco from a person under 16, and the power to require the name and address of a person acting in an anti-social manner.
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