Safer transport solution launched

Forces are currently looking at the issue of the safety of officers while they are transporting prisoners to custody following the tragic death of Northumbria officer PC Joe Carroll.

PC Carroll and a colleague were transporting a prisoner to custody in a police car when the prisoner grabbed the handbrake causing a crash.

As a result of these serious safety issues, forces are looking at alternatives ways to transport prisoners more safety and securely. Scottish-based company Crown Conversions is working with a number of forces including Durham, North Yorkshire, PSNI and Cambridgeshire to supply them with specialist cell conversions which are fitted to vehicles to help transport prisoners to custody suites.

The company has also been awarded a contract to supply Strathclyde Police – Scotland’s biggest police force – with cell conversions for its vehicles. It has been supplying the conversions to Strathclyde for the past three years and successfully retained a contract in December.

Crown Conversions now supplies the majority of the Scottish forces with cell conversions. The cells are independently built of the vehicle in a cube design so, in the event that the vehicle is written off, the cell conversion can be rescued and re-fitted into another vehicle – saving the force time and money.

Other key features of the product are that it is a full-welded cube cell so there are no weaknesses of the bolts and rivets. It is lined with polycarbonate split screens and power coated in white, this not only makes it extremely hard wearing but it allows officers to see contamination in the cell. This helps reduce the health risk to the officer and prisoners.

Managing Director of Crown Conversions David Greer said: “We are delighted to be once again working with Strathclyde Police on this project and the fact they are our local force makes the work even more rewarding. More and more forces are starting to use this type of vehicle for prisoner handling as it is considered safer for the officers involved.

We recognise that health and safety issues are vital to all forces and we are confident our cell conversions will help officers do their jobs safely and effectively.”

Ron Dickson, acting head of transport at Strathclyde Police said: “The safety of both prisoners and our staff are paramount to us and so we are delighted to be provided with the cells from Crown Conversions which help us achieve this.”

Mr Greer added: “We realise that a lot of vehicles we convert are frontline vehicles and need to be on the road and out in communities helping officers fight crime, so we have a duty to make sure they are not parked up waiting for the work to be done. We are a family firm and we take pride in our work – however big or small the contract maybe.”

For further information contact David Greer, sales@crownconversions.com or 01236 608380