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.
Applies to England and Wales
Details
The guide contains a glossary of terms, notes on interpreting the figures, and information on sources of data on other police powers.
Updates to this page
Published 18 April 2013
Last updated
276 FebruaryNovember 2025
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6 November 2025
Updated to accompany publication of 'Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025'.
27 February 2025
Updated to accompany 'Police custody and pre-charge bail, year ending March 2024'.
6 December 2024
Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures: Roads policing, to December 2023'.
26 September 2024
Updated to accompany publication of 'Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024'.
31 January 2024
Updated to accompany the publication of 'Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending March 2023'.
26 September 2023
Updated to accompany the publication of 'Stop and search and arrests, year ending March 2023'.
17 November 2022
Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending 31 November 2022'
27 October 2022
Updated: 'User Guide to Police Powers and Procedures'.
14 December 2021
Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2021'.
18 November 2021
User guide has been converted to HTML format and updated.
27 October 2020
Updated to accompany publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2020'.
24 October 2019
Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2019’.
25 October 2018
Updated to accompany the publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2018'.
26 October 2017
Updated to accompany publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales year ending 31 March 2017'.
27 October 2016
Updated to accompany publication of 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales year ending 31 March 2016'.
6 July 2016
Updated 'User guide to Police powers and procedures'.
16 April 2015
Updated to accompany 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales year ending 31 March 2014'.
3 April 2014
Updated to accompany 'Police powers and procedures England and Wales 2012 to 2013.
18 April 2013
First published.
Update history
2025-11-06 09:30
2025-02-27 09:30
2024-12-06 09:30
2024-09-26 09:30
2024-01-31 09:30
2022-11-17 09:30
2022-10-27 09:30