Territorial police force Information & Territorial police force Links at HealthHaven.com

The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of crime.

[edit] Canada

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP/GRC) is contracted to act as the territorial police force in Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories in addition to being the federal police force in those Canadian territories.^[1]

[edit] United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom (UK) the phrase is gaining increased official^[2](but not yet statutory) use to describe the collection of forces responsible for general policing in areas defined with respect to local government areas. The phrase "Home Office Police" is commonly used but this is often inaccurate or inadequate as the words naturally exclude forces outside England and Wales (and might exclude Wales if responsibility for police services becomes devolved) but include some special police forces over which the Home Secretary has some power.

The police forces referred to as "territorial" are those whose police areas are defined by:

Police Act 1996 - England and Wales, later legislation matched the Metropolitan Police District to the boundary of Greater London
Police (Scotland) Act 1967 - Scotland
Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 - Northern Ireland (renaming the Royal Ulster Constabulary the Police Service of Northern Ireland without changing the area served)

Members of territorial police forces have jurisdiction in one of the three distinct legal systems of the United Kingdom - either England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. A police officer of one of the three legal systems has all the powers of a constable throughout their own legal system but limited powers in the other two legal systems. Certain exceptions where full police powers cross the border with the officer are when officers are providing planned support to another force such as the G8 Conference in Scotland in 2005,^[3] officers of the Metropolitan Police who are on protection duties anywhere in the United Kingdom^[4] and when taking a person to or from a prison.^[5]

[edit] United Nations

The United Nations (UN) has operated territorial police forces in those parts of countries which have been under U.N. control from time to time. These were usually formed from police personnel on loan from member countries. A recent example is the use of such a force in East Timor in substitution for police of Indonesia.

[edit] See also

The Police in Scotland

[edit] External links

List of Police Forces in the United Kingdom

[edit] References

^ "The RCMP's History". Royal Canadian Mounted Police]. 2007-07-09. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/index-eng.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
^ Used in explanatory note 422 of the Police Reform Act 2002.
^ "Police Act 1996 (c. 16)". Opsi.gov.uk. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1996/ukpga_19960016_en_6#pt5-pb3-l1g98. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
^ "Police Act 1996 (c. 16)". Opsi.gov.uk. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1996/ukpga_19960016_en_6#pt5-pb3-l1g99. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
^ "section 23, Prison Act 1952". Statutelaw.gov.uk. http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=Prison+Act+1952&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=553765&ActiveTextDocId=553798&filesize=517. Retrieved 2009-05-28.

[0] "The RCMP's History". Royal Canadian Mounted Police]. 2007-07-09. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/index-eng.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-21.

[1] Used in explanatory note 422 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

[2] "Police Act 1996 (c. 16)". Opsi.gov.uk. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1996/ukpga_19960016_en_6#pt5-pb3-l1g98. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

[3] "Police Act 1996 (c. 16)". Opsi.gov.uk. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1996/ukpga_19960016_en_6#pt5-pb3-l1g99. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

[4] "section 23, Prison Act 1952". Statutelaw.gov.uk. http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=Prison+Act+1952&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&TYPE=QS&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=553765&ActiveTextDocId=553798&filesize=517. Retrieved 2009-05-28.

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