Metropolitan Police Mnemonics Practice Test

The main idea here is understanding where police are legally allowed to use force. Use of force is permitted only to the extent that it is reasonable and necessary in the performance of policing duties. The statutory basis that directly covers this is Section 117, which sets out the authority to use reasonable force in the course of exercising police powers (for actions like arrests or securing a scene when needed). The other sections govern different powers—such as entry, search, or detention—and do not establish the framework for when force may be used, so they’re not about the use of force itself. In practice, officers must use only the amount of force necessary and proportionate to the risk or objective, which is why Section 117 is the correct basis.