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Wandsworth Parks Police was the name given to the body of Constables〔UNISON Police Staff Profile Magazine,Winter 2003/04 issue page 8 and 9. Article 'When can a Police Officer be a member of UNISON?'. Author Laurence Pollock〕 run by Wandsworth Borough Council from 1984 to 2012, which was primarily concerned in patrolling parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Wandsworth to enforce by-laws and other enactments relating to parks and open spaces. The constabulary worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Service, with whom there was a history of mutual co-operation, the two forces often assisting each other with arrests, ASBOs, and other operational matters.〔http://wsra.info/Assets/Minutes_25_10_07.pdf〕 These Constables were first and foremost council officers and were referred to by Wandsworth Council as 'Parks Police Constables',〔(Response by Wandsworth Council to a Freedom of Information Act request, throughout the response )〕 or 'Constables'.〔(Response by Wandsworth Council to a Freedom of Information Act request, Section 14 part A )〕 As each London Borough Council is independent, the police powers exercised by Wandsworth's Police Constables differed from those exercised by Constables from other London Boroughs. However, this was down to local policy and interpretation of the legislation that the constables attested under. In April 2011 Wandsworth Council announced that it was proposing to take advantage of a Metropolitan Police Authority funding scheme that would result in the set up of a team of 16 police officers from the Metropolitan Police dedicated to policing the parks and open spaces of the borough. The council believed the move would save £800,000 a year as well as securing a team of officers some with higher levels of training and greater powers. Such a move meant the abolition of the Wandsworth Parks Police.〔http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/10368/plan_for_met_officers_to_patrol_parks〕〔http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/moderngov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=13624〕〔http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23938047-met-police-to-take-over-park-security-in-south-london.do〕 There was opposition to this proposal. However, it went ahead on 1 April 2012, when the force was replaced by a Metropolitan Police Safer Parks Team.〔(Wandsworth Borough Council website )〕 Whilst the Wandsworth Parks Police have been formally disbanded, the council retained five officers 〔 http://www.batterseapark.org/news/parks-police-threat/〕 within the newly formed Wandsworth Events Police. The officers are still sworn in under the same legislation and enjoy the same powers as their predecessor brand. The cost savings that were put forward by the council as a justification for disbanding the parks police took no account of the cost of maintaining the 'new' constabulary, which is led by an Inspector 〔http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/download/5997/pump_house_gallery_appendices_to_the_terms_and_conditions〕 ==Legal status== The Constables were sworn in under Article 18 of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation (Greater London Parks and Open Spaces) Act 1967. This states that: This gives the powers of a Constable whilst enforcing open space law, including bye-laws and regulations. This includes the power under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to stop a vehicle, driving onto common land. Other powers used by the Constables are set out in Sections 24 and 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) as amended by section 110 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.〔(Response by Wandsworth Council to a Freedom of Information Act request )〕 When on or off duty and they see an offence being committed that is not in breach of the open spaces laws, they may only arrest using 'other person powers' (commonly known as citizen's arrest) given under Section 24a of PACE. Wandsworth council's opinions on the stop and search powers of Parks Police constables differed. One report stated that they had no such powers,〔http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/moderngov/Published/C00000362/M00002523/AI00002899/$PaperNo06456.docA.ps.pdf〕 whereas a later report said they had search powers only upon arrest for breach of bylaws, under Section 1 of PACE.〔 However, the post-arrest power of searching was derived from Section 32 of PACE which allows those that are arrested to be searched: "Section 32(1): A constable may search an arrested person, in any case where the person to be searched has been arrested at a place other than a police station, if the constable has reasonable grounds for believing that the arrested person may present a danger to himself or others. Section 32(2) Subject to subsections (3) to (5) below, a constable shall also have power in any such case- (a) to search the arrested person for anything - (i) which he might use to assist him to escape from lawful custody; or (ii) which might be evidence relating to an offence" It would seem that these constables did have such a power. However, if they seized evidence in relation to a suspected offence of which they did not have jurisdiction then they still had a power of seizure, although they were required to hand the evidence over to a local police officer for consideration of arrest. Regardless of their status as Constables, they were also council officers and as such could enforce legislation which only Local Authority Officers are able to enforce for prosecution. The number of arrests made by the constabulary dropped from 148 arrests in 2000/2001 〔http://ww3.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/pressreleasedetail.asp?id=1279〕 to 18 arrests in 2010/2011 〔http://ww3.wandsworth.gov.uk/moderngov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=14495〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wandsworth Parks Police」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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