This is a list of the 45 territorial police forces and 3 special police forces of the United Kingdom. It does not include non-police law enforcement agencies or bodies of constables not constituted as police forces.
For a list of all law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom and its territories, see List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.
| Force | Area served | Number of police officers | Budget (millions) | Area size (km2) | Formed | Country/Region | Legal jurisdiction | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset Police | Unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset and South Gloucestershire | 3,202 [1] | £326.6 [2] | 4,777 | 1974 | South West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Bedfordshire Police | Unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, and Luton | 1,396 [1] | £122.5 [2] | 1,024 km2 (395 sq mi) | 1966 | East of England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| British Transport Police | National Rail Network, London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, West Midlands Metro, London Trams, Tyne and Wear Metro (part), Glasgow Subway and London Cable car [3] | 2,960 [4] | £319.17 [5] | 200 [6] | 1948 as BTCP | On railway land (and also other areas upon request by another police force, and in certain other circumstances) in England, Wales, and Scotland | Special police force | |
| Cambridgeshire Constabulary | County of Cambridgeshire and unitary authority of Peterborough | 1,671 [1] | £156.2 [2] | 3,389 | 1965 | East of England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Cheshire Constabulary | Unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, and Warrington | 2,370 [1] | £208.0 [2] | 2,155 | 1857 | North West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| City of London Police | City of London | 970 [1] | £67.0 [2] | 2.6 | 1839 | Greater London | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Civil Nuclear Constabulary | Civilian nuclear facilities: Dounreay, Torness, Hunterston, Hartlepool, Sellafield, Heysham, Sizewell, Culham, Harwell, Hinkley Point, Dungeness [7] | 1,310 [lower-alpha 1] | £116.7 [9] | - | 2005 | Civilian nuclear sites and surrounding lands up to 5 km distant, and any such places as required when escorting nuclear materials in transit or pursuing or detaining suspects in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland | Special police force | |
| Cleveland Police | Unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees | 1,443 [1] | £143.5 [2] | 597 | 1974 | North East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Cumbria Constabulary | Unitary authorities of Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness | 1,288 [1] | £117.8 | 6,768 | 1974 | North West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Derbyshire Constabulary | County of Derbyshire and unitary authority of Derby | 2,038 [1] | £193.9 [2] | 2,625 | 1967 | East Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Devon and Cornwall Police | County of Devon and unitary authorities of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Plymouth, and Torbay | 3,515 [1] | £338.4 [2] | 10,270 | 1967 | South West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Dorset Police | Unitary authorities of Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 1,380 [1] | £144.3 [2] | 2,653 | 1974 | South West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Durham Constabulary | Unitary authorities of County Durham and Darlington | 1,295 [1] | £133.3 [2] | 2,676 | 1839 | North East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Dyfed-Powys Police | Principal areas of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and Powys | 1,275 [1] | £115.5 [2] | 10,976 | 1968 | Wales | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Essex Police | County of Essex and unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock | 3,678 [1] | £320.2 [2] | 3,670 | 1969 | East of England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Gloucestershire Constabulary | County of Gloucestershire | 1,279 [1] | £126.9 [2] | 3,150 | 1839 | South West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Greater Manchester Police | Metropolitan county of Greater Manchester | 8,550 [1] | £643.0 [2] | 1,276 | 1974 | North West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Gwent Police | Principal areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, and Torfaen | 1,491 [1] | £142.2 [2] | 1,555 | 1967 | Wales | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary | County of Hampshire and unitary authorities of the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton | 3,302 [1] | £366.4 [2] | 4,149 | 1967 | South East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Hertfordshire Constabulary | County of Hertfordshire | 2,261 [1] | £221.3 [2] | 1,643 | 1841 | East of England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Humberside Police | Unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire, and North Lincolnshire | 2,192 [1] | £200.7 [2] | 3,517 | 1974 | Yorkshire and the Humber | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Kent Police | County of Kent and unitary authority of Medway | 4,064 [1] | £338.4 [2] | 3,736 | 1857 | South East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Lancashire Constabulary | County of Lancashire and unitary authorities of Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool | 3,369 [1] | £308.8 [2] | 3,075 | 1839 | North West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Leicestershire Police | County of Leicestershire and unitary authorities of Leicester and Rutland | 2,335 [1] | £204.0 [2] | 2,538 | 1967 | East Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Lincolnshire Police | County of Lincolnshire | 1,182 [1] | £131.6 [2] | 5,921 | 1856 | East Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Merseyside Police | Metropolitan county of Merseyside | 4,093 [1] | £359.7 [2] | 645 | 1974 | North West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Metropolitan Police Service | Metropolitan Police District (London region excluding the City of London) | 35,052 [1] | £2,939.9 [2] | 1,578 | 1829 | Greater London | England and Wales (includes Scotland and Northern Ireland for officers on close protection duties) | Territorial police force |
| Ministry of Defence Police | Critical Defence Sites, Designated Critical National Infrastructure, MOD Headquarters Whitehall, Trident, Atomic Weapons Establishment, GCHQ | 2,594 [lower-alpha 2] | £156.6 [11] | - | 1971 | Military buildings, property, and employees (as well as other areas upon request by another police force, and in certain other circumstances), in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland | Special police force | |
| Norfolk Constabulary | County of Norfolk | 1,921 [1] | £177.2 [2] | 5,371 | 1839 | East of England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| North Wales Police | Principal areas of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham | 1,652 [1] | £167.1 [2] | 6,172 | 1974 | Wales | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Northamptonshire Police | Unitary authorities of North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire | 1,458 [1] | £146.2 [2] | 2,364 | 1966 | East Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Northumbria Police | Metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear and unitary authority of Northumberland | 3,658 [1] | £307.1 [2] | 5,553 | 1974 | North East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| North Yorkshire Police | Unitary authorities of North Yorkshire and the City of York | 1,669 [1] | £166.2 [2] | 8,310 | 1974 | Yorkshire and the Humber | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Nottinghamshire Police | County of Nottinghamshire and unitary authority of Nottingham | 2,401 [1] | £224.8 [2] | 2,160 | 1968 | East Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland | 6,772 [12] | £1,077.4 [13] | 13,843 | 2001 | Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland | Territorial police force |
| Police Scotland | Scotland | 16,570 [14] | £1,064.8 [15] | 78,772 | 2013 | Scotland | Scotland | Territorial police force |
| South Wales Police | Principal areas of Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, and the Vale of Glamorgan | 3,397 [1] | £315.8 [2] | 2,074 | 1969 | Wales | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| South Yorkshire Police | Metropolitan county of South Yorkshire | 3,022 [1] | £282.1 [2] | 1,552 | 1974 | Yorkshire and the Humber | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Staffordshire Police | County of Staffordshire and unitary authority of Stoke-on-Trent | 1,913 [1] | £211.1 [2] | 2,713 | 1968 | West Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Suffolk Constabulary | County of Suffolk | 1,387 [1] | £135.1 [2] | 3,801 | 1967 | East of England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Surrey Police | County of Surrey | 2,153 [1] | £249.4 [2] | 1,663 | 1851 | South East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Sussex Police | Non-metropolitan counties of East Sussex and West Sussex and unitary authority of Brighton and Hove | 3,051 [1] | £309.9 [2] | 3,783 | 1968 | South East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Thames Valley Police | Non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire and unitary authorities of Bracknell Forest, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Reading, Slough, Wokingham, West Berkshire, and Windsor and Maidenhead | 4,772 [1] | £456.7 [2] | 5,742 | 1968 | South East England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Warwickshire Police | County of Warwickshire | 1,029 [1] | £109.9 [2] | 1,975 | 1840 | West Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| West Mercia Police | County of Worcestershire and unitary authorities of Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Telford and Wrekin | 2,358 [1] | £236.5 [2] | 7,408 | 1967 | West Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| West Midlands Police | Metropolitan county of the West Midlands | 7,715 [1] | £620.4 [2] | 902 | 1974 | West Midlands | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| West Yorkshire Police | Metropolitan county of West Yorkshire | 5,930 [1] | £485.0 [2] | 2,029 | 1974 | Yorkshire and the Humber | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Wiltshire Police | Unitary authorities of Swindon and Wiltshire | 1,138 [1] | £127.7 [2] | 3,485 | 1839 | South West England | England and Wales | Territorial police force |
| Total | — | 174,415 | £15,832 | — | — | — | — |
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly referred to as the Metropolitan Police, is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within the ceremonial county of Greater London. In addition, it is responsible for some specialised matters throughout the United Kingdom, including national counter-terrorism measures and the protection of specific people, such as the monarch and other members of the royal family, members of the government, and other officials.
British Transport Police is a national special police force that polices the railway network of England, Wales and Scotland. The force polices more than 10,000 miles of track and more than 3,000 stations and depots.
Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Most law enforcement duties are carried out by those who hold the office of police constable of a territorial police force.
West Mercia Police, formerly the West Mercia Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire in England. The force area covers 2,868 square miles (7,430 km2) making it the fourth largest police area in England and Wales. The resident population of the area is 1.19 million Its name comes from the ancient kingdom of Mercia.
A police authority in the United Kingdom is a public authority that is responsible for overseeing the operations of a police force. The nature and composition of police authorities has varied over time, and there are now just four dedicated "police authorities" in the United Kingdom, although the term can refer to various similar successor bodies.
Chief Constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police, and Civil Nuclear Constabulary. The title is also held by the chief officers of the principal Crown Dependency police forces and the Sovereign Base Areas Police in Cyprus. The title was also held, ex officio, by the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers under the Police Reform Act 2002. It was also the title of the chief officer of the Royal Parks Constabulary until this agency was disbanded in 2004.
Special police usually describes a police force or unit within a police force whose duties and responsibilities are significantly different from other forces in the same country or from other police in the same force, although there is no consistent international definition. A special constable, in most cases, is not a member of a special police force (SPF); in countries in the Commonwealth of Nations and often elsewhere, a special constable is a voluntary or part-time member of a national or local police force or a person involved in law enforcement who is not a police officer but has some of the powers of a police officer.
Police ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships in police organisations. The rank system defines authority and responsibility in a police organisation, and affects the culture within the police force. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary is the local territorial police force that covers the county of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough unitary authority. It provides law enforcement and security for an area of 1,311 square miles (3,400 km2) and population of 856,000 people, in a predominantly rural county. The force of Cambridgeshire includes the cities of Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough, the market towns of Chatteris, Huntingdon, March, Ramsey, St Ives, St Neots, Whittlesey, and town and Port of Wisbech. Its emblem is a crowned Brunswick star containing the heraldic badge of Cambridgeshire County Council.
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is a special police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at any relevant nuclear site and for security of nuclear materials in transit within the United Kingdom. The force has over 1,500 police officers and support staff. Officers within the force are authorised firearms officers due to the nature of the industry the force protects.
An authorised firearms officer (AFO) is a British police officer who is authorised and trained to carry and use firearms. The designation is significant because most police officers in the United Kingdom do not routinely carry firearms. The only forces where officers are routinely armed are the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Ministry of Defence Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Belfast Harbour Police and the Belfast International Airport Constabulary.
MDP officers are attested as constables in one of the three jurisdictions of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but can exercise their powers in matters relating to the Ministry of Defence Estate throughout the United Kingdom, and additionally in the circumstances described below. MDP officers' jurisdiction relates to a subject rather than geographic area and is set out in section 2 of the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987, which was amended by the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. MDP officers are based throughout the UK and exercise their jurisdiction over matters connected with the Defence Estate; there is no requirement for them to be on Ministry of Defence land when doing so.
A special constable or special police constable can refer to an auxiliary or part-time law enforcement officer or a person who is granted certain (special) police powers.
The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated high-risk areas, as well as uniformed policing and limited investigative services to Ministry of Defence property, personnel, and installations throughout the United Kingdom. The MDP are not military police. Service personnel often refer to the MDP by the nickname "MOD plod".
Plural policing is a term that describes the idea that the police cannot work on their own as the sole agency to deal with the wide range of issues that they are expected to deal with in the present day. It draws on the idea of a mixed economy and so is also sometimes referred to as mixed economy policing. Plural policing relates to the wide range of other agencies, both public, private, and charity that work towards the generic aim of law enforcement. The idea of plural policing was first considered in an article by Les Johnson in 1993 entitled "Privatisation and Protection: Spatial and Sectoral Ideologies in British Policing and Crime Prevention" in the Modern Law Review. Ten years later, he expanded on this initial work in a further article.
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