Cap. 389 Art. 18Power of community officers to detain persons and obtain particulars.

(1) A community officer shall have the power to stop any person, whom he suspects to have committed any breach of any bye-laws, for the purpose of identifying such person and taking his particulars, but may not detain any person except as provided in the following sub-article.

(2) A community officer may detain any person for the purpose of taking him before a Police officer or until the arrival of a Police officer, where such person refuses to stop and give his particulars or for the purpose of preventing such person from committing a breach of any bye-laws where such person has been warned to desist and has not desisted voluntarily.

(3) Any person who refuses to give, or untruthfully gives to any community officer in the exercise of his duties, his name, surname, address and other particulars that may be lawfully required shall be guilty of a contravention and shall on conviction violence any community officer in the execution of his duties under this Act.

(2) Saving any higher punishment to which he may be liable under any other law any person who contravenes the provisions of this article shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of one to six months:

Provided that no punishment shall be awarded for the mere act of assault or resistance against any person who, although he shall have attempted to commence, or shall have actually commenced to act, shall at the first warning given by the person assaulted or to whom resistance is offered, or by any public authority, desist from the further commission of the crime.