Use of force in police custody criticised in report

Inspectors said Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary "hadn’t improved enough" since its last assessment

A police force has been criticised for failing to collect "accurate" data on the use of force in custody, a report has found.

The assessment of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary custody facilities said it could not "assure the public" the use of force was always "justified".

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the constabulary in February.

The force said no issues regarding inappropriate use of force by officers and staff had been identified, adding the recording process had since been "strengthened".

HMICFRS said, while there had been improvements since its last inspection, the "governance and oversight of use of force hadn’t improved enough".

It has since given the force two recommendations to address its main causes of concern. It has also outlined a further nine areas for improvement.

Inspectors visited the constabulary's four custody sites in Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Southampton and Newport.

Their role was to assess the "effectiveness of custody services and outcomes for detained people" through different stages of detention.

The report found there "aren't always enough custody personnel to provide safe custody services", adding there were "minimum staffing levels" in each custody site.

It also stated some data collected by police about detainees "may not be accurate".

Inspectors found the force collects information on the numbers of detainees entering custody, broken down by ethnicity, gender and age.

It also logs waiting times for detainees to be booked into custody, refusal of detentions, child detentions and strip search data.

Inspectors have given the force two recommendations to address its main causes of concern

The report said data on the number of times force was used in custody could be inaccurate.

Adding: "There are also some gaps in the information collected as the constabulary doesn’t measure how quickly it requests appropriate adults for children or vulnerable adults.

"It also doesn’t monitor the time detainees wait for mental health assessments, or to be transferred to a health-based place of safety."

The report praised the force's "clear governance structure" and the "strategic and operational meetings to oversee custody services," saying custody provision "had improved"

But said necessary forms were not being completed, with the use of force not always being recorded in custody records and, the report added, "some instances where it wasn’t recorded at all".

Summarising, the report said: "The constabulary therefore can’t assure itself, the police and crime commissioner, or the public that the use of force in custody is always justified, necessary and proportionate.

"This hasn’t improved since our last inspection and is still a cause of concern."

Sam de Reya, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's Deputy Chief Constable, said she welcomed the inspection.

She said the report highlighted the force's well-trained and empathetic custody staff and the quality of its care provision and facilities.

“As in all inspections there were areas for improvement which we have already responded to," she went on.

"One of these areas included the administration of how we record the use of force when someone is in custody.

"There were no issues identified regarding any inappropriate use of force by officers and staff and this recording process has now been strengthened."

She added that use of force on a detainee is only ever done as a "last resort", with clear guidance, training and scrutiny ensuring it was proportionate and necessary.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said action was already being taken before the report was published, including the recruitment of more detention officers.

She said: “The force has dramatically increased the number of arrests made over the last year in its efforts to relentlessly pursue criminals under the command of Chief Constable Scott Chilton.

"That positive change puts pressure on custody facilities but I’m satisfied the force is managing this well and it is what the public would expect policing to do."