Mentally ill suspects ‘should not be held in police cells’

‘Guidance should not advocate the use of police custody on the grounds that the detainees’ behaviour would be difficult to manage in a healthcare setting’

PEOPLE with suspected mental health problems should not be held in police cells, an inquiry into deaths in custody has found.

The long-awaited review states that families whose loved ones died while under police custody had been failed by the system, and advocates mental health training for all forces in England and Wales.

Dame Elish Angiolini QC, the author of the report, has recommended more than 100 reforms to the police, justice system and health service in order to address the issue, the Guardian reported. The use of cells to hold people with mental health problems should not be advocated on the grounds that the detainees’ behaviour would be difficult to manage for healthcare staff – rather they should be phased out, according to Dame Elish.

“Guidance should not advocate the use of police custody on the grounds that the detainees’ behaviour would be difficult to manage in a healthcare setting,” the review says.

In addition, relations of those who have died in custody should receive “free, non means-tested” legal advice to give them parity with police and other publicly funded organisations. The report was ordered by Theresa May in 2015 when she was still home secretary but is yet to be published despite its damning assessment of the facilities available to mentally ill suspects. The dossier also cites evidence of racial disparities in the number of deaths related to police restraint, adding that officers should be held to account if excessive or disproportionate force is used.

Among the other recommendations are a ban on officers discussing incidents before they make their statements and installing video cameras in every police van used to transport prisoners and on every front-line officer.