Police Powers of Arrest

Police and Criminal Evidence Act

S24 allows a constable to arrest anyone who is about to commit, is in the act of committing or has committed an offence. A constable may also arrest a person whom he reasonably suspects is about to commit, is committing or has committed an offence.

However the power of arrest is only exercisable if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the arrest is necessary in accordance with specified reasons as contained within s24(5)(a)-(f):

(a) to enable the name of the person in question to be ascertained (in the case where the constable does not know, and cannot readily ascertain, the person’s name or has reasonable grounds for doubting whether a name given by the person as his name is his real name);

(b) to enable the address of the person in question to be ascertained (as above);

(c) to prevent the person in question-

(i) causing physical injury to himself or any other person;
(ii) suffering physical injury;
(iii) causing loss of or damage to property;
(iv) committing an offence against public decency; or
(v) causing an unlawful obstruction of the highway;

(d) to protect a child or other vulnerable person from the person in question;

(e) to allow the prompt and effective investigation of the offence or of the conduct of the person in question;

(f) to prevent any prosecution for the offence from being hindered by the disappearance of the person in question.