MPS has made improvements to custody services, but further progress needed
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) provides a safe environment for detainees in custody, but needs to improve its risk management and how it oversees its use of force, the police inspectorate has said.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that the MPS has a clear management structure for providing custody services.
Inspectors commended the way in which the force maintains its custody suites to provide a safe environment.
They reviewed footage of 64 cases on CCTV and said that positively, they found “no significant learning” for the service in any of them. This is a much better outcome than normally found in other custody suites in England and Wales, said HMICFRS.
Inspectors also said that the force clearly prioritises diverting children away from custody. It works with the youth justice services to achieve this.
However, HMICFRS and CQC said governance and oversight of use of force incidents is poor.
The inspectorates’ review of use of force incidents suggests that when force is used in custody, it is generally justified, proportionate and necessary. But the force’s quality assurance processes are not robust enough for it to understand and evidence this itself.
The force’s oversight of custody services is not wide enough to ensure its processes always improve the outcomes for those requiring mental health assessments and protect the safety and well-being of detainees.
HMICFRS said this is a “cause of concern”. To address this, inspectors have made one recommendation to the force and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. They have also highlighted a further 20 areas for improvement.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman said: “It’s important that anyone detained in custody should be treated fairly and kept safe from harm.
“The MPS has a clear governance structure for providing safe and respectful services. Custody personnel were always respectful towards detainees, and they showed compassion during their interactions with them. There is a strong focus on safeguarding detainees, especially children.
“Since our last inspection, the force has made some progress in improving custody services. But some areas still need to improve.
“For example, the force doesn’t always release detainees safely. Not all pre-release risk assessments contain enough detail to show how the force has identified and addressed risks such as self-harm. It also needs to improve its governance and oversight of its use of force.
“We will be working closely with the service and monitoring its progress in managing its custody facilities against our new recommendation.”