Police staff powers: how designation works

In England and Wales, police staff do not have police powers by default. A chief officer of police can designate a member of staff as a community support officer or a policing support officer, and the designation gives that person the powers set out in it. The legal source is section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002, which applies to the forces in England and Wales. Contractors, volunteers and staff lent by another force are covered by neighbouring sections. If you work in or want to join a police staff role, the designation is what decides which parts of the job you can do.

Who can be designated

Section 38 lets the chief officer of any police force designate a relevant employee as a community support officer, a policing support officer or both. It also allows a police volunteer to be designated as a community support volunteer, a policing support volunteer or both. A relevant employee is, broadly, a member of the force’s civilian staff.

Before designating anyone, the chief officer must be satisfied that the person is suitable to carry out the functions, is capable of carrying them out effectively, and has received adequate training in the work and in the powers and duties the designation confers.

What powers a designation can carry

The Act sets the outer limit. The powers and duties that can be conferred are any power or duty of a constable, except those on the excluded list in Part 1 of Schedule 3B. For someone designated as a community support officer or volunteer, the designation can also confer the powers described in Schedule 3C. The Secretary of State can add to the excluded list by regulations.

In practice that means two forces can give the same job title different powers. A designation can also be narrower than the Act allows. It can limit where a power is used or the circumstances in which it can be used, or it can extend use to named areas outside the force’s own area. Unless it says otherwise, a power can be used in the force’s own area in cases where a constable of that force could use it.

Our guide to the PCSO role describes how those powers show up in neighbourhood work. The job pack for any vacancy should list the designated powers, or say that they will be set after training.

The limits that apply to every designation

Several restrictions apply to everyone designated under section 38.

• A designated person who uses a power that includes reasonable force for a constable has the same entitlement to use reasonable force.
• Force to enter premises can only be used in the company and under the supervision of a constable, or to save life or limb or prevent serious damage to property.
• The chief officer must make sure no one designated is authorised to use a firearm. CS spray and PAVA spray are excepted, as are weapons or purposes specified in regulations.
• A designated employee acts under the designation only in the course of their employment, and subject to any restrictions and conditions in it. A volunteer acts under it only while acting as a police volunteer.

Staff from another force, contractors and schemes

Section 38B covers collaboration. One force’s chief officer can designate employees of another force so that they can help, with the designation identifying the work. Section 39 deals with contracted-out services. Where a local policing body contracts for the detention or escort of people in custody, the chief officer can designate the contractor’s employees as detention officers or escort officers, and powers come only through Parts 3 and 4 of Schedule 4. Our guide to police detention officer jobs shows how that affects the job.

Sections 40 and 41A cover community safety accreditation schemes and the accreditation of weights and measures inspectors. Those are separate from the staff designations above, and we have not set out their detail here.

What to check before you apply

• Which designation the job carries. The advert may say community support officer, policing support officer, detention officer or nothing at all. For roles such as call handlers and police investigators, ask the force whether the post carries any designation.
• Whether powers are granted on appointment or after training. The Act requires adequate training before designation, so ask when it happens and whether it is paid.
• Which area the designation covers. If the force collaborates with a neighbour, you may be asked to work across both areas.
• Whether the Act has changed since you last looked. The legislation.gov.uk text is up to date to 22 October 2026, but notes pending changes. Your employer’s HR team can confirm what applies to your post.