Report Summary
This report provides members of the Scottish Police Authority Policing Performance Committee with an overview of the Policing Performance Committee with an update of recommendations from HMICS Inspections selected for review.
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Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Policing Performance Committee - 11 June 2024
Date : 11 June 2024
Location : online
Themes, Challenges and Wider Context - Custody
The aim of the inspections is to assess the treatment of, and conditions for, individuals detained at custody centres being inspected. When addressing the recommendations we are considering them across the whole of the Custody estate. This ensures we continue to strive for consistency. Improving record keeping is the main theme and our focus is on understanding whether this is isolated to poor record keeping or an indication of wider issues. Maintaining cleaning standards and ensuring staff have the right support, guidance and equipment has emerged as a theme and one which is being closely monitored across all centres.
There has been significant improvement to achieving consistency since Police Scotland formed and staff have had to embrace new processes and technology. As we continually strive for increased efficiency and effectiveness we are mindful of the demands on our people who are working in a challenging environment subject to intense scrutiny. We try to be proportionate in our approach to improvement and prioritise the areas that will achieve the greatest impact through our Divisional messaging so as not to overburden our people.
Understanding of certain areas of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 could be improved across operational policing. This will help investigating officers to understand their responsibilities, when to apply them and to feel supported in making decisions around arrests, disposals and Investigative Liberation.
Criminal Justice Services Division (CJSD) wants to empower all arresting and enquiry officers to be confident when applying the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016.
There are five areas of focus within this refresh:
Section 50 Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 – to avoid holding a person unreasonably or unnecessarily in police custody
Children in Custody
Same Circumstances and Exceptional Circumstances
Investigative Liberation
Section 14 Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 - Test
Further work in this area will help support the demand within our Custody centres create capacity for review, reflection and ongoing training.
