IPCC
Welcomes Strengthened Forum for Preventing Deaths in Custody
The Independent Police Complaints Commission welcomes
the Ministry of Justice's decision to strengthen the Forum for Preventing
Deaths in Custody.
Nick Hardwick, IPCC chair, said:
'Today's announcement of the strengthened forum coincides with the news
that deaths in or following police custody fell in numbers to 21 last
year from 27 the year before.
'The forum has successfully brought together the organisations that investigate
custody deaths and those that have to care for people in detention or
special hospitals. Much has already been learnt by sharing knowledge and
experience. Setting up the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody should
ensure that Government gets the best advice on how to reduce deaths in
custody further.'
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Responding to the IPCC report on deaths during or after police contact
published on 21st July, Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation
of England and Wales, says:
'We welcome the recorded reduction in deaths following or during police
contact. This is in some part due to our sustained demand for better ongoing
training for all police officers and the establishment of a culture of
learning from mistakes, rather a witch-hunt to apportion blame.
'Deaths during or following police contact not only cause devastation
for the families left behind but also greatly affect those police officers
involved. It’s far too simplistic to just look at the headline figures.
Every statistic tells a different story, and regrettably, sometimes there
are circumstances when a member of the public loses their life despite
the officers involved doing everything in their power to prevent the tragedy
occurring in the first instance.'
