England and Wales
Police in England and Wales
Policing is organised by statute into police areas, each with an elected commissioner outside London — dozens of separate forces rather than one national service.
Facts verified:
This is a static reference page, not a live feed — check anything you intend to act on with the official source.
Section 1 of the Police Act 1996 provides that "England and Wales shall be divided into police areas", and that those areas are the ones listed in Schedule 1 to the Act together with the metropolitan police district and the City of London police area. Policing here is territorial and plural by statute: there is no single national police force.
Governance follows the same territorial pattern. Section 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 provides that "there is to be a police and crime commissioner for each police area listed in Schedule 1 to the Police Act 1996 (police areas outside London)", and that a commissioner is a corporation sole — an office rather than a board.
Both sections are shown as extending to England and Wales. The Home Office describes itself as the lead government department for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, counter-terrorism and police, with a responsibility for supporting visible, responsible and accountable policing — but the department is not the employer of the forces, and the statute puts the areas and their commissioners where the constitutional weight sits.
The same idea, explained generally
- Why do societies need law enforcement?
Law enforcement exists so that rules apply to everyone rather than to whoever can be compelled. This guide explains the function, the conditions that make it legitimate, and what it cannot do.
- What is the difference between police and law enforcement?
“Police” is one kind of institution. “Law enforcement” is a function that many bodies perform. This guide explains the distinction and why it matters when comparing countries.
Sources
Sources
Police Act 1996, section 1 (Police areas) — legislation.gov.uk
The National Archives (United Kingdom) · Legislation · link verified 2026-09-18
SCOPE: the division of England and Wales into police areas. The official consolidated text, read directly. Supports that “England and Wales shall be divided into police areas” and that those areas are the ones listed in Schedule 1 together with the metropolitan police district and the City of London police area. The section is shown as extending to England and Wales (E+W). The extent marker is an anchor: this platform relies on it, so a run that no longer finds it fails.
The National Archives (United Kingdom) · Legislation · link verified 2026-09-18
SCOPE: who governs a police force outside London. The official consolidated text, read directly. Supports that “there is to be a police and crime commissioner for each police area listed in Schedule 1 to the Police Act 1996 (police areas outside London)” and that a commissioner is a corporation sole. The section is shown as extending to England and Wales (E+W). It establishes nothing about the London arrangements, which are different and were not researched here.
Home Office (United Kingdom) · Government publication · link verified 2026-09-18
SCOPE: the Home Office's own account of its remit. The department's about page on gov.uk, read directly. Supports that it is “the lead government department for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, counter-terrorism and police” and that its responsibilities include supporting visible, responsible and accountable policing. The department's remit is United Kingdom-wide for some functions and not for others; nothing here establishes which, and no claim about Scotland or Northern Ireland is made from it.