Guidance

User guide to police powers and procedures

This guide to police powers and procedures statistics is designed to be a useful reference guide with explanatory notes on the statistics.

• From: Home Office
• Published: 18 April 2013
• Last updated: 1 October 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 1 October 2026

     Updated to accompany the publication of 'Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2026'.

  2. 9 April 2026

     Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police custody and pre-charge bail, year ending March 2025'.

  3. 19 March 2026

     Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures: Roads policing, to December 2024'.

  4. 6 November 2025

     Updated to accompany publication of 'Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025'.

  5. 27 February 2025

     Updated to accompany 'Police custody and pre-charge bail, year ending March 2024'.

  6. 6 December 2024

     Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures: Roads policing, to December 2023'.

  7. 26 September 2024

     Updated to accompany publication of 'Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024'.

  8. 31 January 2024

     Updated to accompany the publication of 'Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending March 2023'.

  9. 26 September 2023

     Updated to accompany the publication of 'Stop and search and arrests, year ending March 2023'.

  10. 17 November 2022

      Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending 31 November 2022'

  11. 27 October 2022

      Updated: 'User Guide to Police Powers and Procedures'.

  12. 14 December 2021

      Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2021'.

  13. 18 November 2021

      User guide has been converted to HTML format and updated.

  14. 27 October 2020

      Updated to accompany publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2020'.

  15. 24 October 2019

      Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2019’.

  16. 25 October 2018

      Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2018'.

  17. 26 October 2017

      Updated to accompany publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales year ending 31 March 2017'.

  18. 27 October 2016

      Updated to accompany publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales year ending 31 March 2016'.

  19. 6 July 2016

      Updated 'User guide to Police powers and procedures'.

  20. 16 April 2015

      Updated to accompany 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales year ending 31 March 2014'.

  21. 3 April 2014

      Updated to accompany 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales 2012 to 2013.

  22. 18 April 2013

      First published.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

User guide to police powers and procedures

HTML

Details

The guide contains a glossary of terms, notes on interpreting the figures, and information on sources of data on other police powers.