The UK Protected Persons Service ( UKPPS ) is a service provided by the government of the United Kingdom that provides personal protection to people at risk of serious harm, such as those requiring witness protection or at threat from domestic abuse , honour-based violence , or organized crime . It works with the National Crime Agency and British police forces. The service can provide protected people with new identities and homes.
34-623: The UKPPS was set up in 2013, and was reorganized to be under centralized control by the National Crime Agency in 2019. As of 2014, the service provided protection for around 3000 people at a cost of around £20 million per year. Section 4 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 makes provision for witness protection services. This article related to government in the United Kingdom or its constituent countries
68-456: A result of Brian Haw and his Parliament Square Peace Campaign . Haw was a peace campaigner, who from 1 June 2001 until his death on 18 June 2011 protested against Britain and the United States' policy towards Iraq . He used placards and a loudspeaker to get his message across, which some British MPs found disruptive. Patrick Cormack MP said in a Parliamentary debate on 7 February 2005 that
102-577: A single post. The Commissioners were not appointed as sworn constables until the Administration of Justice Act 1973 amended the phrase on justices of the peace in Section 1 of the 1829 Act to "a Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to execute the duties of chief officer of the [Metropolitan Police]". The insignia of rank is a crown above a Bath Star , known as a "pip", above crossed tipstaves within
136-590: A wreath. This badge is all but unique within the British police, shared only with the Commissioner of the City of London Police , the smallest territorial police force , and HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary . Like all chief officer ranks in the British police, commissioners wear gorget patches on the collars of their tunics. The gorget patches are similar to those worn by generals, aside from being of silver-on-black instead of
170-600: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This law enforcement –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 The Serious Organized Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15) (often abbreviated to SOCPA or SOCAP ) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom aimed primarily at creating the Serious Organised Crime Agency . It also significantly extended and simplified
204-419: Is guilty of an offence they suspect has been committed. These powers to arrest only apply if one or more of the following reasons apply: Given the scope of the last two provisions, a new Code of Practice was issued for guidance. These changes were enacted on 1 January 2006. Sections 128-131 criminalise trespass at certain "Protected Sites", which consist of nuclear sites and additional sites designated by
238-676: The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man . The Act introduced changes to the powers of arrest utilised by both " constables " and "other persons" in England and Wales. The term arrestable offence ceased to have effect as, bar a few preserved exemptions, one power of arrest now applies to all offences when the arrest is made by a constable. Where the threshold of an arrestable offence was previously used to enable specific powers of search or powers to delay certain entitlements, these powers are preserved, but
272-635: The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police six days in advance, or if this is not reasonably practicable then no less than 24 hours in advance. The area itself is defined by a Statutory Instrument , the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Area) Order 2005, rather than the Act. It specifically excludes Trafalgar Square , a traditional site of protest on the northern boundary of
306-738: The Home Secretary under the Police Act 1996 . The post of commissioner is "accountable to the Home Secretary ; to the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime , and must answer to Londoners and the public nationally." In 2008 and 2011, applicants to the post of commissioner had to be British citizens (in 2008 this was explicitly stated to be because of the role of the commissioner in national security), and be "serving UK chief constables or of equivalent UK ranks and above, or have recent experience at these levels". In contrast, applicants in 2018 were told that
340-481: The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 . For the force's first ten years, commissioners were known as " justices of the peace of the counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Hertford, Essex, and Kent, and of all the liberties therein". Section 4 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 first gave the post the title of Commissioner, and it was held jointly by two officers until the Metropolitan Police Act 1856 merged these into
374-471: The Metropolitan Police District , the Metropolitan Police also has certain national responsibilities such as leading counter-terrorism policing and protection of the royal family and senior members of the government. The commissioner is directly accountable to the Home Secretary , the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime , and the Mayor of London . The post of commissioner was created by
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#1732855933535408-796: The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 so that "pursuing a course of conduct" amounting to harassment could mean approaching two people just once, rather than one person at least twice, as before. Commentators such as George Monbiot have voiced the concern that the amended Harassment Act effectively "allows the police to ban any campaign they please". Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sadiq Khan ( L ) Statutory Deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney ( L/Co ) London Assembly Lord Mayor Peter Estlin London boroughs ( list ) Vacant The Commissioner of Police of
442-623: The Act was in December 2005, when Maya Evans was convicted for reading the names of British soldiers killed in the Iraq War , near the Cenotaph in October, without police authorisation. In 2006, the comedian and political activist Mark Thomas attacked this section of the act by organising several protests within the area, within the confines of the law. His most notable was when he organised 21 protests over
476-472: The Army's gold-on-red. At one time, the commissioners were either retired military officers or civil servants. Sir John Nott-Bower , who served as commissioner from 1953 to 1958, was the first career police officer to hold the post, despite several previous commissioners having served in senior administrative positions in colonial forces and the Metropolitan Police itself. Nott-Bower's successor Sir Joseph Simpson
510-574: The Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service . Sir Mark Rowley was appointed to the post on 8 July 2022 after Dame Cressida Dick announced her resignation in February 2022. The rank of Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police is regarded as the highest in British policing . Although authority is generally confined to the Metropolitan Police Service's area of operation,
544-624: The Police Regulations 2003 restrict the constables eligible for appointment to those who are serving, or have served, in the ranks of assistant chief constable , commander , or a more senior rank in a police force in any part of the United Kingdom. The Appointment of Chief Officers of Police (Overseas Police Forces) Regulations 2014 approve certain Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US police forces and ranks. The selection process in 2017, to select Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe's successor, involved
578-640: The Secretary of State. The latter consist of a range of royal, parliamentary, and government sites. Trespass is punishable on summary conviction with a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year. In addition to the Protected Sites, the Act is controversial primarily for sections 132 to 138, which restrict the right to demonstrate within a "designated area" of up to one kilometre from any point in Parliament Square . Demonstrators must give written notice to
612-681: The area. Apart from Parliament it also includes Whitehall , Downing Street , Westminster Abbey , the Middlesex Guildhall , New Scotland Yard , and the Home Office . It also covers a small section of land on the other bank of the River Thames , including County Hall , the Jubilee Gardens , St Thomas' Hospital and the London Eye . These provisions of the Act were introduced partially as
646-456: The bill would pass before the 2005 general election . The offence has since been created by the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 . The Act applies principally to England and Wales but s.179 permits the extent or designates sections applying only to Scotland and/or Northern Ireland; additionally s.179(9) extends the application of four sections (ss.172, 173, 177, 178) beyond the United Kingdom to
680-526: The candidates undergoing psychometric testing in addition to interviews with the Home Secretary, Mayor of London and Policing Minister. The process is conducted in private and the Home Office has specifically called for a "news blackout". The discussion and public profile of the candidates was limited to speculation and rumour, with the Home Office refusing to even confirm the shortlisted candidates covered in
714-473: The course of a single day within the area. This act got Thomas into the Guinness Book of Records for taking part in the most protests in a single day. However, as the first and last protest took place in the same location, only 20 protests are recognised by Guinness. In January 2007 Tate Britain opened State Britain , an installation by artist Mark Wallinger that recreated the display confiscated by
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#1732855933535748-412: The kilometre-radius of parliament without prior authorisation being needed. In October 2007, the Home Office published a public consultation document, Managing Protest Around Parliament , which "takes another look at sections 132–138 [of SOCPA] and explores whether there is another way to address the situation that would both uphold the right to protest while also giving police the powers they need to keep
782-475: The legislation. The legislation initially appeared ineffective against Haw. The High Court of Justice ruled that as Haw's protest had begun in June 2001 he was not required to get authorisation. The three-strong judicial panel accepted arguments by Haw's lawyers that the law only applied to demonstrations that took place after it came into force, not those previously in progress. However, on 8 May 2006, this decision
816-557: The lives of "members of staff in Portcullis House and 1 Parliament Street, as well as the police who are on duty at Members' entrance day after day ... are made intolerable by those people baying away, without a crowd to address, merely repeating themselves ad nauseam ." However, others, such as Jeremy Corbyn MP disagreed, saying "The Minister should think carefully about removing rights that are enshrined in our history", and Glenda Jackson MP agreed with him, saying "I regard it as
850-564: The new commissioner. However, in 2014 section 42 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 was amended by section 140 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 , whereby a person who is or has been "a constable in any part of the United Kingdom" or "a police officer in an approved overseas police force, of at least the approved rank" could be appointed. Determinations made in 2018 under Regulation 11 of
884-501: The peace". Campaigners are worried that this document contains new threats to freedom of assembly and the right to protest in that is suggests that there could be "harmonisation of powers to manage marches and assemblies" throughout the UK. Sections 132 to 138 of the Act were repealed by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 , which provides for a different scheme of "prohibited activities" on Parliament Square. SOCPA also amended
918-530: The police from Brian Haw's protest. The Tate press release on the exhibition mentioned that the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 prohibited "unauthorised demonstrations within a one kilometre radius of Parliament Square" and that this radius passed through the Duveen Hall, literally bisecting Wallinger's exhibit. Wallinger marked this on the floor with a black line running through the Tate. Press reports dwelt on
952-523: The post of commissioner was "non reserved" (seemingly a reference to the Aliens' Employment Act 1955 (as amended) ) and that there were no specific restrictions on nationality. The requirement to be a British national blocked the appointment of non-British commissioners in the past, such as in August 2011, when Prime Minister David Cameron wanted former Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bill Bratton to become
986-563: The potential dangers of this infringement, speculating that the police might even remove the half of the exhibit on the "wrong" side of the line. Charles Thomson of the Stuckists art group wrote to The Guardian , pointing out that the exclusion zone ended at Thorney Street, 300 yards before the Tate. Gordon Brown said that he planned to look again at this section of the SOCPA, meaning that protesters would eventually be able to protest freely in
1020-497: The powers of arrest of a constable and introduced restrictions on protests in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster . It was introduced into the House of Commons on 24 November 2004 and was passed by Parliament and given royal assent on 7 April 2005. Measures to introduce a specific offence of "incitement to religious hatred" were included in early drafts of the Act, but then dropped so
1054-526: The threshold is changed to that of an indictable offence . Subject to an overriding requirement that an arrest is reasonably required and that no less intrusive way of advancing the investigation is reasonably available (the "Necessity Test"): the constable may arrest without a warrant anyone who is about to or is in the act of committing an offence, or anyone they have reasonable grounds to suspect of committing or being about to commit an offence. They may also arrest anyone they have reasonable grounds to believe
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1088-507: The voice of democracy". Lembit Öpik MP drew attention to the comments of the Prime Minister Tony Blair , who, on 7 April 2002, said: "When I pass protestors every day at Downing Street ... I may not like what they call me, but I thank God they can. That's called freedom." The Home Office stated the security concerns, such as the possibility of explosive devices being left in and around Haw's paraphernalia, were another reason for
1122-734: Was overturned by the Court of Appeal . On 1 August 2005, the day that the Act came into force, the Stop the War Coalition and others organised a protest against the prohibition. They did not officially ask for permission, but at the subsequent court cases it was revealed that the Stop the War Coalition had negotiated with police about the protest. The action attracted some 200 people according to reports – among them Lauren Booth , Tony Blair 's sister-in-law – and five people were arrested. The first conviction under
1156-416: Was the first commissioner to have started his career at the lowest rank of constable . However, Sir Robert Mark , appointed in 1972, was the first to have risen through all the ranks from the lowest to the highest, as all his successors have done. As of 2008 , the post of commissioner is appointed for a period of five years. Applicants are appointed to the post by the monarch, following a recommendation by
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