Section 25Part 4 — Powers, Duties and Privileges of Police Officers
General powers
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25. (1) Police officers shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as are by law conferred or imposed upon them, and shall obey all lawful directions in respect of the execution of their office which they may from time to time receive from police officers of a senior rank or service in equivalent rank.
Police officers shall be deemed to be on duty at all times.
It is the duty of police officers —
promptly to obey and execute all orders and warrants lawfully issued to them by any competent authority;
to collect and communicate intelligence affecting the public peace;
to prevent the commission of offences and public nuisances;
to detect and bring offenders to justice; and Police Act (2021 Revision) Section 26 c Revised as at 31st December, 2020 Page 19
to apprehend all persons whom they are legally authorised to apprehend or for whose apprehension sufficient ground exists.
A police officer may arrest without warrant any person who commits or attempts to commit an arrestable offence in that police officer’s view or whom that police officer reasonably suspects to have committed an arrestable offence.
Any legal process, lawfully issued, may be served by a police officer between the hours of seven o’clock in the morning and seven o’clock in the evening.
Where a police officer has reasonable cause to believe that a person is evading service, that police officer may serve such process on such person at any time.
Notwithstanding any provision of this or any other Law, the service of process may be proved by endorsement by the police officer on the original or copy thereof of the fact, place and date of such service.
Any person who wilfully and corruptly endorses any false statement on an original or copy of a legal process commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of three thousand dollars or to imprisonment for one year or to both.