Sheffield study sheds light on police custody

Sheffield study sheds light on police custody

Suspects in police custody consider civilian employees more caring and compassionate than police officers, research from the University of Sheffield has found.

The research by Dr Layla Skinns, from the University´s Centre for Criminological Research, has for the first time explored the significant changes police custody has undergone to civilianise and privatise key roles that used to be performed by the police, such as booking-in suspects or looking after their welfare whilst they are in the cells.

Her findings, which have been published today (10 December 2010) in a book entitled Police Custody: Governance Legitimacy and Reform in the Criminal Justice Process, have revealed that civilian members of staff play an important role in police custody areas and are highly regarded by suspects for their rapport and communication skills, caring and compassionate attitude and responsiveness. However, the research revealed that due to differences in roles between civilian employees and police officers, police officers remained largely in control of custody areas and responsible for ensuring that suspects accessed their due process rights, such as legal advice.

The findings follow a study of two custody areas in England - one publically-run site, employing mainly police officers, and a largely privately-run site in which the majority of staff working on any one shift are employed by a private security company and in which the police custody facility had been refurbished and operated by the same private security company.

In each site, a research team spent a week observing the custody area and speaking to staff and suspects, before conducting in-depth interviews with around 60 staff and suspects. In addition, quantitative data was collected from around 900 records that the police keep about each suspect they have in their custody. This data logs information about what happens to them, including their access to phone calls, legal advice and medical attention. The small-scale nature of the research means that the findings may not be applicable to all police stations.

The research is the first step to better understanding what constitutes a 'good' police custody area. What seems to be important is that suspects have appropriate access to rights and entitlements and are treated respectfully and politely by staff. It is hoped that in the future, the findings can be used by organisations like Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) or Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), who inspect police custody facilities on a regular basis.

Dr Layla Skinns said: "Police custody has been a neglected area of academic research for the last decade. It is also a topic that rarely receives much attention by the wider public, yet it is extremely important. Police custody is the gateway to the wider criminal justice system, where much is at stake if staff get things wrong. The research in the book fills this gap, providing an insight into what it is like in police custody for staff and suspects, but also into the changing role of the police in policing."