- Email: [email protected]
Drug-related deaths in police custody
J O U R N A L
Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine 11 (2004) 141
O F
CLINICAL FORENSIC MEDICINE www.elsevier.com/locate/jcfm
Book review The 2003–2003 annual report of the police complaints authority, ISBN 010-2923280, £25; Investigating allegations of racially discriminatory behaviour, ISBN 0-9543215-2-9, £5; Drug-related deaths in police custody, complied by Siobhan Havis and Dr David Best, ISBN 09543215-1-0. All published by the Police Complaints Authority, 10 Great George St, London SW1 3AE, UK, www.pca.gov.uk This 2002–2003 will be the final report wholly published by the independent Police Complaints Authority as it will be replaced in 2004 by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which will have a different structure. This has come about from the Police Reform Act. The Annual Report give a background to the new changes in structure and how the transition from PCA to IPCC is being undertaken. As is usual with the Annual Report it is divided into a number of sections which include, supervision of investigations, misconduct review, firearms incidents, road traffic incidents and other deaths involving the police. Police forces are required voluntarily to refer a death in custody to the PCA and also any death following contact with the police. New definitions are now in place creating four categories for the reporting of such deaths, they are: Category 1 – fatal road traffic accidents involving the police; Category 2 – fatal shooting incidents involving the police, which includes only those people who died as a result of being shot by the police; Category 3 – deaths in police custody – this includes people who die following arrest or detention by police, and deaths that occur while a person is being arrested or taken into custody; Category 4 – deaths during or following other types of contact with the police that did not amount to detention, and where there is a link between that contact and the death – these deaths may have occurred in a public place or in the personÕs home. It is these latter
doi:10.1016/j.jcfm.2003.12.001
categories that is of most relevance to forensic physicians and in England and Wales – the numbers of deaths in the last year have increased slightly (to 30) from 2001 to 2002. Half of these are these are caused by either alcohol, drugs or self harm. With regard to drug deaths, David Best and Siobhan Havis have produced a report specifically addressing this issue having reviewed 43 deaths in police care or custody between 1997 and 2002 in which the consumption of illicit or prescribed drugs was given as the cause of death at either the post-mortem or the coronerÕs inquest or where the police investigation indicated that the individual had consumed illicit drugs in the period immediately prior to arrest or death. In 29/43 cases the oral route of administration was used. The authors emphasise to need for appropriate training of police officers in drug awareness issue and in providing emergency first aid interventions. Additionally they address the need in having policies for the management of drug-intoxicated individuals and for the use of medical input in police custody. In the absence of these issues being addressed the authors are concerned that as drug usage increases in the general population – so will drug-related deaths in custody. Finally, the PCA has been concerned for a long time about the most appropriate way to question police officers and witnesses about whether they were motivated by race. The PCA has produced guidelines which represent general good practice for investigations and this publication outlines the way in which such practice can be applied. Each of these publications is recommended reading for those working with police forces. J. Payne-James Forensic physician London, UK E-mail address: [email protected]
Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine 11 (2004) 141
O F
CLINICAL FORENSIC MEDICINE www.elsevier.com/locate/jcfm
Book review The 2003–2003 annual report of the police complaints authority, ISBN 010-2923280, £25; Investigating allegations of racially discriminatory behaviour, ISBN 0-9543215-2-9, £5; Drug-related deaths in police custody, complied by Siobhan Havis and Dr David Best, ISBN 09543215-1-0. All published by the Police Complaints Authority, 10 Great George St, London SW1 3AE, UK, www.pca.gov.uk This 2002–2003 will be the final report wholly published by the independent Police Complaints Authority as it will be replaced in 2004 by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which will have a different structure. This has come about from the Police Reform Act. The Annual Report give a background to the new changes in structure and how the transition from PCA to IPCC is being undertaken. As is usual with the Annual Report it is divided into a number of sections which include, supervision of investigations, misconduct review, firearms incidents, road traffic incidents and other deaths involving the police. Police forces are required voluntarily to refer a death in custody to the PCA and also any death following contact with the police. New definitions are now in place creating four categories for the reporting of such deaths, they are: Category 1 – fatal road traffic accidents involving the police; Category 2 – fatal shooting incidents involving the police, which includes only those people who died as a result of being shot by the police; Category 3 – deaths in police custody – this includes people who die following arrest or detention by police, and deaths that occur while a person is being arrested or taken into custody; Category 4 – deaths during or following other types of contact with the police that did not amount to detention, and where there is a link between that contact and the death – these deaths may have occurred in a public place or in the personÕs home. It is these latter
doi:10.1016/j.jcfm.2003.12.001
categories that is of most relevance to forensic physicians and in England and Wales – the numbers of deaths in the last year have increased slightly (to 30) from 2001 to 2002. Half of these are these are caused by either alcohol, drugs or self harm. With regard to drug deaths, David Best and Siobhan Havis have produced a report specifically addressing this issue having reviewed 43 deaths in police care or custody between 1997 and 2002 in which the consumption of illicit or prescribed drugs was given as the cause of death at either the post-mortem or the coronerÕs inquest or where the police investigation indicated that the individual had consumed illicit drugs in the period immediately prior to arrest or death. In 29/43 cases the oral route of administration was used. The authors emphasise to need for appropriate training of police officers in drug awareness issue and in providing emergency first aid interventions. Additionally they address the need in having policies for the management of drug-intoxicated individuals and for the use of medical input in police custody. In the absence of these issues being addressed the authors are concerned that as drug usage increases in the general population – so will drug-related deaths in custody. Finally, the PCA has been concerned for a long time about the most appropriate way to question police officers and witnesses about whether they were motivated by race. The PCA has produced guidelines which represent general good practice for investigations and this publication outlines the way in which such practice can be applied. Each of these publications is recommended reading for those working with police forces. J. Payne-James Forensic physician London, UK E-mail address: [email protected]