FOI 262-24 Police Uniform

Enquiry Reference:  262 - 24                                                                        

 

I write in connection with regards to your Freedom of Information request.  Below is your request and our response.

 

Background to this FOI, night club bouncers wear black gloves that have a layer of small beads that are not visible but can be felt on a closer inspection, these beads act like knuckle dusters when punching someone. 

I have seen a YouTube clip of a Police officer wearing what appears to be these types of gloves.

 

1/ are your forces Police officers allowed to use these types of gloves.

1. a) Police are issued with standard black leather gloves.

2/ are your forces Police gloves inspected.

1. a) No.

3/ have any of your forces Police been found with these gloves.

1. a) No.

4/ would these gloves be classed as an offensive weapon.

1. a) If gloves are made or adapted to be an offensive weapon the crime that is most appropriate to record would be the following:

Home Office code 8/11 - Possession of offensive weapon without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. Contrary Prevention of Crime Act 1953 Sec 1 (1) (as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 Sec 2 (1).

However, the issue before recording a crime would be for the OIC to evidence the gloves were intended or adapted to be an offensive weapon, if the evidence showed they were an offensive weapon, then it would need to be evidenced the suspect did not have lawful authority to possess them.

5/ would a person or an officer using these gloves be charged with ABH or GBH.

1. a) See above answer.

6/ has anybody been arrested for using these types of gloves.

1. a) No.

7/ questions 1 to 6 cover the previous 18 months from today's date, the 27th of February 2024.

 

The Cleveland Police response to your request is unique and it should be noted that Police Forces do not use generic systems or identical procedures to capture and record data therefore responses from Cleveland Police should not be used as a comparison with any other force response you receive.

 

If you are not satisfied with this response or any actions taken in dealing with your request, you have the right to request an independent internal review of your case under our review procedure. The APP College of Policing guidance states that a request for internal review should be made within 20 working days of the date on this response or 40 working days if extenuating circumstances to account for the delay can be evidenced.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Information Rights Decision Maker