The Home Secretary’s decision to hold an independent review into deaths in or following custody, which she announced last week, should be welcomed by us all.
The review, we are told, will examine ‘procedures and processes’ involving custody deaths and serious non-fatal incidents which I, I believe, is good news for both the police and the public. The police should gain confidence from an objective examination of their actions while relatives of those who have died in custody should have confidence that truth will prevail.
We can be justifiably proud of our new custody facility, Compass House. It is hard to put into words the collective relief of those of us involved when it finally opened because what it replaced was dreadful, a liability and so long overdue.
I have always been clear that when someone is brought into custody in Gloucestershire their primary responsibility of the police is to keep that person safe whilst they investigate the offences of which they are suspected. I stress suspected as it’s for the courts to decide guilt.
I know from personal experience how stressful it is either working in or passing through police custody facilities. It is stressful, high risk and rarely rewarding but it’s also been proved to be a time of unparalleled reflection where life changing decisions for better or worse can be made.
For anyone who has never gone through that experience, it’s very hard to imagine what it’s like, or be truly objective. The review will have my total support and it can only be in everyone’s interest.
