SIA Powers of Arrest and Detention 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following persons has the power to make a citizen's arrest under Section 24A PACE 1984?
- Only warranted police officers
- Only SIA-licensed security personnel
- Any person, including members of the public (Correct answer)
- Only persons employed in a law enforcement capacity
Correct answer: Any person, including members of the public
Section 24A PACE grants citizen's arrest powers to any person, not exclusively to security staff or police officers.
Question 2: Which of the following offences would NOT qualify for a citizen's arrest under Section 24A PACE?
- Robbery
- Assault occasioning grievous bodily harm
- Being drunk and disorderly (Correct answer)
- Theft
Correct answer: Being drunk and disorderly
Being drunk and disorderly is a summary-only offence triable only in the Magistrates' Court; citizen's arrest under Section 24A only applies to indictable offences.
Question 3: When informing a person they are being detained under citizen's arrest, what is the door supervisor legally required to communicate?
- The specific section of law being used and the supervisor's SIA licence number
- The reason for the arrest in clear terms the person can understand (Correct answer)
- A formal police caution including the right to remain silent
- The maximum duration of detention and the conditions for release
Correct answer: The reason for the arrest in clear terms the person can understand
The law requires that an arrested person is told the reason for their arrest in terms they can understand; a formal police caution is not required from a civilian making a citizen's arrest.
Question 4: A detained person becomes aggressive during a citizen's arrest. What is the door supervisor's legal position regarding continued use of force?
- All physical force must immediately cease regardless of the threat
- Reasonable force may be used to maintain the lawful detention (Correct answer)
- The supervisor must release the person to avoid liability
- Only verbal commands are permitted once the person is detained
Correct answer: Reasonable force may be used to maintain the lawful detention
Reasonable and proportionate force can be used to maintain a lawful detention where a person is attempting to escape or posing a threat, provided it remains proportionate to the risk.
Question 5: A door supervisor makes a citizen's arrest at 22:00 and police cannot attend for 30 minutes. What is the correct course of action?
- Release the person as detention cannot lawfully exceed 15 minutes
- Conduct an interview to gather evidence while waiting for police
- Keep the person detained, continue efforts to contact police, and hand over when an officer arrives (Correct answer)
- Search the person's belongings for further evidence to present to police
Correct answer: Keep the person detained, continue efforts to contact police, and hand over when an officer arrives
The obligation is to hand the person to police 'as soon as reasonably practicable'; waiting for police availability is acceptable as long as efforts to contact them are maintained.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'reasonable grounds for suspicion' required before making a citizen's arrest?
- A personal feeling or instinctive hunch about an individual
- Objective facts or information that would cause a reasonable person to suspect an indictable offence (Correct answer)
- The unverified word of another person without any supporting evidence
- The suspect's known past criminal record alone
Correct answer: Objective facts or information that would cause a reasonable person to suspect an indictable offence
Reasonable suspicion must be based on objective facts; a reasonable person with the same information must also form the same suspicion, not just the individual making the arrest.
Question 7: What is the primary legal risk for a door supervisor who makes an unlawful arrest?
- Automatic and immediate revocation of their SIA licence
- Receiving a verbal warning from the venue manager and a note on their record
- Being liable for false imprisonment in civil law or facing criminal charges for assault (Correct answer)
- Being issued a fixed penalty notice by the attending police officer
Correct answer: Being liable for false imprisonment in civil law or facing criminal charges for assault
An unlawful arrest can constitute false imprisonment (a civil tort) and any force used could amount to criminal assault, exposing the supervisor to serious legal liability.
SIA Powers of Arrest and Detention 2
Which of the following persons has the power to make a citizen's arrest under Section 24A PACE 1984?