restraining orders after criticism this week that its officers were failing to enforce them.

But Acting Commissioner Mr. Alex Forbes pointed out that while some restraining orders granted Police powers of arrest, others did not.

Furthermore, each order had an expiry date usually within four weeks of the date of issue, Mr. Forbes said in a statement yesterday. And some orders did not come into effect until they were served on the defendant by the court bailiff.

"Having reviewed Police procedures in dealing with these orders, certain administrative safeguards are being put in place,'' Mr. Forbes said.

They included steps to ensure all Police divisions were aware of the full contents of each restraining order granted and that all officers were aware of their powers under the Matrimonial Proceedings (Magistrates Court) Act 1974.

Steps to ensure orders were served immediately on the defendants after being obtained had also been taken, he said.

The Physical Abuse Centre last week charged Police and the courts were failing to cooperate on the number one means -- restraining orders -- that battered women have of protecting themselves.

Chairperson Mrs. Arleen Swan pointed to ineffectiveness of court restraining orders as the main reason for women having to live and work in fear for their lives.

"The problem is restraining orders,'' she said. "We are not getting the cooperation from the Police and the courts. Many times they do not apprehend the man at all and they are running around loose.'' Yesterday the Women's Resource Centre chairperson Ms Toni Daniels said that in most of the cases her agency sees, the victims of abuse held restraining orders against the perpetrators, but they were not being properly enforced.

Police were failing to act on orders even when they had power of arrest attached, she claimed.