The Welfare of Vulnerable People in Police Custody
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The welfare of vulnerable people in police custody March 2015 © HMIC 2015 ISBN: 978-1-78246-781-6 www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic Contents Glossary .................................................................................................................... 5 Executive summary ................................................................................................ 16 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 16 Inspection commission ......................................................................................... 16 Approach .............................................................................................................. 16 Findings ................................................................................................................ 17 The nature of vulnerability ................................................................................. 17 First point of contact and diversion .................................................................... 18 In the custody suite33 ....................................................................................... 19 Release or transfer from police custody ............................................................ 20 BAME detainees ............................................................................................... 21 Leadership, governance and accountability ...................................................... 21 Partnership working .......................................................................................... 22 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 23 Chapter 1 - Introduction ......................................................................................... 25 Inspection aims ..................................................................................................... 28 Approach .............................................................................................................. 28 Inspection questions ............................................................................................. 31 Structure of this report .......................................................................................... 32 Chapter 2 - The legislative policy and framework ............................................... 34 Police powers of detention .................................................................................... 35 Rights in custody .................................................................................................. 36 Length of detention ............................................................................................... 37 Additional guidance .............................................................................................. 39 Policy context ....................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 3 - Analysis of nationally published data ............................................... 42 What the data tell us ............................................................................................. 44 Custody data ........................................................................................................ 44 Use of police custody as a place of safety under the Mental Health Act 1983 ...... 47 Data limitations ..................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 4 - The nature of vulnerability ................................................................. 50 Summary of research and inspection report findings ............................................ 50 Vulnerability in police custody ............................................................................... 52 Chapter 5 - First point of contact and arrest ........................................................ 54 Information sharing – police, local authorities and the NHS ................................. 57 The decision to arrest and take into police custody .............................................. 58 Chapter 6 - In the custody suite ............................................................................ 67 Who is taken into police custody?......................................................................... 68 Reasons for detention ........................................................................................... 72 Repeat detentions ................................................................................................. 73 Use of custody as a place of safety under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 ...................................................................................................................... 73 Arrival in custody .................................................................................................. 76 Length of time in custody ...................................................................................... 82 Risk assessment................................................................................................... 83 Searching and strip-searching .............................................................................. 87 Access to appropriate adult services .................................................................... 91 Local authority accommodation for children in police custody .............................. 92 Use of force in custody ......................................................................................... 94 Healthcare ............................................................................................................ 97 Chapter 7 - Release or transfer from police custody ........................................ 104 Chapter 8 - Leadership, governance and accountability .................................. 108 Focus on vulnerability and custody ..................................................................... 109 Understanding risks and demands on the service .............................................. 110 3 Chapter 9 - Summary findings ............................................................................ 114 Practice ............................................................................................................... 114 Management ....................................................................................................... 118 Chapter 10 - Conclusions and recommendations ............................................. 121 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 121 Recommendations .............................................................................................. 123 Annex A ................................................................................................................. 130 Annex B ................................................................................................................. 135 Annex C ................................................................................................................. 137 Annex D ................................................................................................................. 151 Annex E ................................................................................................................. 166 Annex F ................................................................................................................. 170 4 Glossary AA appropriate adult ACPO Association of Chief Police Officers anti-social behaviour behaviour by a person which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more other persons not of the same household as the person (see section 101 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011) APP authorised professional practice appropriate adult individual whose role is to safeguard the welfare and rights of children and vulnerable adults detained or interviewed by police; he may be a parent or other relative, or a designated professional such as a social worker; all children and any adult who is identified as mentally ill or mentally vulnerable should have a designated appropriate adult Association for the international non-governmental organisation Prevention of Torture focused on the prevention of torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment Association of Chief professional association of police officers of Police Officers assistant chief constable rank and above, and their police staff equivalents, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; leads and coordinates operational policing nationally; a company limited by guarantee and a statutory consultee; its president is a full-time post under the Police Reform Act 2002 authorised professional official source of professional practice on policing, practice developed and approved by the College of Policing, to which police officers and staff are expected to have regard in the discharge of their duties BAME Black Asian and Minority Ethnic call-handler worker (usually a member of police staff and not a police officer) who answers telephone calls from 5 the public, determines the circumstances of the call, and decides what the initial response will be Care Quality Commission independent regulator of all health and social care services in England caution formal warning that is given to a person who has committed a minor