Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC - formerly IPCC)
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IPCC recommendations shape national guidance on custody handling
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has helped shape new national guidance on the safer detention and handling of detainees.
The IPCC has worked with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) on the second edition of the ACPO Guidance on the Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Police Custody, which was released in March 2012. The guidance focuses on practical issues within custody and aims to provide a definitive guide to police forces on strategic and operation policies to raise standards of care within custody.
The IPCC made a number of recommendations on best practice as a result of learning from its investigations into deaths and serious injuries, complaints appeals and its Study of Deaths in or following police custody (December 2010), which have been reflected in the new guidance.
One key change relates to the handling of detainees who are intoxicated. A new definition of “drunk and incapable” has been included, meaning someone who is unable to walk or stand unaided, or is unaware of their actions or unable to fully understand what is said to them. If a person is found to be drunk and incapable then they should be treated as being in need of medical assistance at hospital and an ambulance should be called.
The revised document also gives further guidance on:
• The importance of risk assessments for individuals under the influence of drink and drugs
• Risk assessments should reflect whether restraint techniques were used during arrest
• The recording of handover procedures within custody
• Additional risks associated with individuals familiar to the police who are brought into custody under the influence of alcohol
• Dealing with detainees with diabetes
• Adequate rousing procedures to ensure they involve a comprehensive verbal response from the detainee
The detail of the recommendations is included in the latest Learning the Lessons bulletin which is released by the IPCC yesterday. The quarterly bulletin helps the police service to learn lessons from individual cases, and develop best practice.
Commissioner Sarah Green, who leads on custody issues for the IPCC with Commissioner Mike Franklin, said:
“Deaths in police custody remain relatively rare. It is vital that when there are lessons to be learned as a result of a death, these are shared throughout the police service.
“We are pleased that our recommendations have been reflected in the latest ACPO Guidance on the Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Police Custody.
“Police officers have a duty of care to those in custody and the learning taken from IPCC investigations and our wider research will help to ensure that officers care for detainees in a safe manner and reduce the risk of deaths and serious injuries.
“This area of work has always been a top priority for the IPCC, and in 2011 we announced that this would be one of six priority areas that we will focus on to ensure police forces learn and improve, with the aim of reducing the frequency of adverse incidents and complaints and improving public confidence in the police complaints system. ”
