Policing.uk
Section 60 authorisation
- Public order
A power under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 that, once authorised by an inspector or above (or superintendent in the original provision) on the basis of a reasonable belief that serious violence may occur in an area, allows any constable in uniform to stop and search any person or vehicle in the specified area, without requiring individual reasonable grounds, for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments.
In practice
Section 60 is a blunt instrument that removes the individual reasonable grounds requirement for stop and search. Its use is disproportionately recorded against Black and minority ethnic individuals and is subject to scrutiny by HMICFRS and the IOPC. An authorisation must specify the locality and duration (initially up to 24 hours, extendable). Officers exercising a section 60 search must still follow GOWISELY.
Last updated 12 October 2026