Can anyone tell me what the home office guide lines or legislation is on disposing for sale of police helmets both defunct or current issue (if any)? some aution websites are insisting its illegal to sell such items and therefore against their policy. Can somebody out there confirm or refute this?
cheers
ian
Basically there is no law in the United Kingdom, that prevents the sale of Police Clothing or Badges. The only related law is "UNLAWFULLY PURPORTING TO BE A POLICE OFFICER" We have covered this in previous issues of the PMCC magazine and in this coming Fridays issue we hope to re-touch on the subject with a short article from Emma who deals with police forces and their surplus clothing.
In some countries it is illegal, and some auction sites adopt one standard policy, and won't allow the sale of current uniform and insignia because of that.
cheers Jim, I did think the same however, the auction site in question is of course ebay who blame the removal of my items on "law enforcement officers" who-ever they maybe? they are telling me i can list my helmet if i have written autherisation from the force it relates to and the officer it used to belong to (yeh as if)!! Anyway a rather poor excuse. Would I be right in assuming the Home office dictates what can be disposed of and also I assume they have written guide lines that could be used to relist my item, instead of being silly and writing hopeless letters to the cheif constable of every uk force?
Thanks again
ian
Re: Re: Re: selling current or obsolete police items
No - Sorry.... As far as I am aware there are no guidlines for the disposal of police uniform. It is entirely a matter for the individual Chief Constable. Some forces a quite strict about uniform, others will provide you with badges and patches on request.
Ebay has the one rule for the whole of its international community, there are many of us that have tried to get ebay to change it's policy, to no avail.
Be carefull here Jim. You have stated, The only related law is "UNLAWFULLY PURPORTING TO BE A POLICE OFFICER"
That is incorrect and you should read up on the Police Act 1996 sect 90 (3) which clearly states the offence of possession of any articles of Police uniform for persons who are not Police or Special Constables.
Also it can be argued,and people have been arrested for Theft when caught in possession of Police articles, particulary current issue stuff which technically belongs to the relevant police authority and should not be sold on the open market.
Re: Re: Re: selling current or obsolete police items
Thank you to Mike for pointing out Section 90 of the Police Act 1996. If you take the wording of section 90 it would appear that any person who is not a Police Officer or Special Constable, would be guilty of an offence to possess any article of Police Uniform or Insignia. However it would be correct to point out that the section specifically relates to IMPERSONATION.
If it were to mean anything else outside of the realms of IMPERSONATION, then a lot of Police Officers would be in trouble. Including Chief Constables who have authorised the sale of their surplus uniform to such companies as "Onestopcopshop", or who have authorised the giving of Patches and Badges to collectors who ask for them. Who have authorised the sale of Helmet Plates to rasie money for charities, the list goes on.
Would the literal interpretation of this act mean that Police Community Support Officers, Civilian Staff, Cadets, Security Guards and any other person who lawfully wears a uniform similar to a police officers also be guilty??
