Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Police (Amendment) Regulations 2018 and come into force on 22nd February 2019.

Amendments to the Police Regulations 2003

2.  The Police Regulations 2003(4) are amended as follows.

3.  In regulation 3 (interpretation)(5), insert at the appropriate place-

""rejoiner member" means a member of a police force to whom regulation 10B applies;".

4.  For regulation 10B(6), substitute-

"10B.  Member rejoining a police force

(1) This regulation applies to a person who is to be appointed as a member of a police force ("Force A") and who-

(a)has previously served as a member of a police force (whether Force A or another force) and has-

(i)satisfactorily completed the period of probationary service in the rank of constable required under regulation 12 during that or another period of prior service, and

(ii)resigned or retired from that force;

(b)is not participating in the DE Inspector or DE Superintendent programmes;

(c)is not transferred (for the purposes of regulation 2 (reference to transfers)) to Force A from another force, and

(d)was not, immediately prior to the appointment-

(i)on a secondment under regulation 13A (secondments)(7);

(ii)on a career break under regulation 33(12) (leave)(8), or

(iii)a member of a police force.

(2) A person to whom this regulation applies-

(a)must be appointed in a rank to be decided by the chief officer making the appointment;

(b)must be on probation for such period as the Secretary of State shall determine in respect of such appointments.

(3) In making a determination under paragraph (2)(b), the Secretary of State may, subject to paragraph (4), confer on the chief officer discretion to determine the required period of probation in a particular case.

(4) For the purposes of a determination under paragraph (2)(b), the periods to be counted or disregarded in reckoning service shall be such as may be determined by the Secretary of State.".

5.  In regulation 12(1) (probationary service)(9), after "a member of a police force" insert

"other than a rejoiner member."

6.  In regulation 13 (discharge of probationer)(10)-

(a)in paragraphs (1), (2) and (4), for each reference to "DE inspector or DE superintendent" substitute "DE inspector, DE superintendent or rejoiner member";

(b)in paragraph (3), for "DE inspector's or DE superintendent's" substitute "DE inspector's, DE superintendent's or rejoiner member's".

7.  In regulation 17 (personal record of member leaving force), after paragraph (3) insert-

"(4) Where a member of a police force ("Force A") to whom paragraph (3) applies becomes a rejoiner member of another police force ("Force B"), the chief officer of Force A must transfer to Force B any personal record relating to the rejoiner member that is still kept by Force A.".

8.  In regulation 19A(1)(b) (testing for substance misuse)(11), after "regulation" insert "10B or".

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make various amendments to the Police Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/527).

Regulation 4 removes the requirement that former officers must re-join a police force within 5 years if they wish to retain their previous rank. Instead, former officers may now rejoin a force even if their previous service ended more than 5 years previously, and they may be appointed to a rank decided by the chief officer making the appointment.

Regulations 5 to 8 make consequential amendments.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.