Deaths in police custody lowest since 2004-05 in England and Wales - watchdog
- Published
Deaths in police custody in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level since 2004-05, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) says.
Of the 11 people who died, most became ill while under arrest and four had been restrained.
There were two fatal police shootings in the year 2021-22, compared to one the year before, the figures show.
But the IOPC warns figures for deaths after contact with police can fluctuate and may not represent long-term trends.
"It is vital that stronger efforts are made to work across agencies to help reduce deaths following police contact," said IOPC director general, Michael Lockwood.
Mr Lockwood welcomed the fall in the number of deaths: "However, we know that each and every death is a tragedy for the families and friends concerned."
The IOPC is warning that poor mental health, or drugs and alcohol abuse, often lie behind police-related deaths.
"These issues cannot be solved by the police service alone and need a concerted system-wide response to help prevent future deaths occurring," said Mr Lockwood.
The figures also show 56 people took their own lives after being arrested and kept in custody.
More than half had been arrested for a sexual offence, a higher number than on average.
Of the 11 deaths in custody, 10 people were white and one was black.
Pursuit deaths
There were also 33 fatalities following police pursuits. This is 14 more than last year and the highest figure recorded for four years.
According to the report, 25 of the people who died were the "driver or passenger in the pursued vehicle".
The average age of those who died as drivers or passengers in police pursuits was 27.
- Published27 December 2021
