PCC’s office wins national award for police custody checks

‘VERY PROUD’: Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison

By Rick Lyon

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Humberside has been recognised nationally for the quality of its independent custody visiting scheme.

Under the scheme, trained volunteers called Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs), managed by the OPCC, make regular unannounced visits to police custody suites to check on the rights, entitlements, wellbeing and dignity of the detainees held there.

Their findings are reported to the Police and Crime Commissioner, who holds the Chief Constable to account for force performance.

The Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA), the national membership organisation that supports, leads and represents these schemes, has developed a quality assurance framework to assess how well they comply with the code of practice that governs custody visiting.

This is the second year that schemes have been assessed under the framework and have been able to gain quality assurance awards to recognise the value of their work.

The Humberside scheme was presented with a Platinum quality assurance award by the ICVA at a ceremony in Birmingham.

Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison said: “Independent Custody Visitors play a crucial role in the assurance of Humberside Police’s custody facilities.

“Through their visits to custody suites in our region, our volunteers are helping to develop future policies and improve the service Humberside Police provide to those at a time where they may be vulnerable.

“I am very proud of the hard work our office and our volunteers undertake, and I am thankful for their efforts.

“This award is a testament to years of dedication to the ICV scheme and shows our commitment to help serve our communities in all aspects of policing.”

Dame Anne Owers, chair of the ICVA, said: “Independent Custody Visiting schemes ensure that the public have oversight of a high pressure and often hidden area of policing.

“These awards demonstrate how local schemes use volunteer feedback to make change and ensure that police custody is safe and dignified for all.”

ICVA chief executive Sherry Ralph said: “The quality assurance framework represents a significant amount of additional work to ensure that independent custody visiting is regularly reviewed, improvements are made where they are needed and excellent practice is shared.

“I congratulate Humberside on their accomplishment and thank them for their commitment.”