Legal regulation is a mode of accountability. In England and Wales, legal regulation has been developed as part of an alternative to an outdated system of control by the local State. Abuse of stop and search has been a major factor in the worsening of relations between police and public; some of PACE's most important provisions were those regulating stop and search. This had little impact on the practice of many officers, rather, PACE operates to give an acceptable appearance to the way police work is carried out. Another provision was the requirement of an officer to state purpose and possible consequences of a proposed search of premises, to obtain written consent for it, and to keep detailed records of all such searches; however, many consent searches are not recorded. Consent laws may produce some problems, but consent is a desirable policing concept and process which should be developed to its fruition. 63 references