Police criticised over management of its use of force in custody

West Midlands Police has been ordered to improve the way it runs its custody suites

Police management of its use of force in custody is not good enough, a report has said.

Inspectors who reviewed services at West Midlands Police said they found officers could not show force or restraint used was necessary, justified and proportionate.

The force said the safety of those in custody will always be its priority.

The report said the force has shown some progress in its custody services but added it needs to do more.

Inspectors from His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reviewed police custody suites in the West Midlands in May.

It said improvements have been made since its last inspection in 2017. Governance structures were better and senior leaders were actively involved in seeking to improve custody provision, it said.

Four areas of concern were raised by the police and care watchdogs

But it highlighted four areas of concern:

• Leadership of custody was not making sure safe and respectful custody services were consistently provided

• The force was not always assuring detainees' safety and was not following authorised professional practice guidance in all areas

• There were several areas where the force was not consistently meeting the requirements of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and its codes of practice

• The governance and oversight of the use of force in custody was not good enough.

His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams says the watchdog will work with the force to monitor progress

The force has six custody suites at Perry Barr, Oldbury, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Stechford and Bloxwich.

Last year, nearly 40,000 people were detained across the region.

His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said: "Frontline officers have a good understanding of vulnerability and consider this when deciding whether an arrest is appropriate, and custody staff treat detainees with respect and do their best to meet individual needs.

"However, progress has been limited and there are still several areas of concern, including West Midlands Police's oversight of the use of force in custody and the lack of consistency in the custody services it provides."

HMICFRS said it would work closely with the force to monitor its progress.

Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green of West Midlands Police said a new local policing model, which saw the force introduce changes to custody services, including the provision of more local custody facilities to cut down on travel time, had been implemented.

"The HMICFRS inspection coincided with these changes and work was already underway to address many of the points raised in the report including strengthening governance and improving the training and skills of custody detention officers."

Progress had been made on other improvements but "we know there is more to do", he added.