MPA welcomes falling numbers of deaths following police contact

26/05
13 June 2005

Figures presented to the MPA Co-ordination and Policing Committee by the MPS show that the total number of deaths following police contact has fallen in three consecutive years. The number for 2004 – 205 was thirteen with the totals for preceding two years fifteen and seventeen respectively.

Commenting on these figures Cindy Butts, Deputy Chair of the MPA, said:

“Any death following police contact is tragic whatever the circumstances. To help minimise future risks the MPS has put in place several new strategies to both learn from past incidents and to ensure that the custody process is made more professional.

“The MPS Directorate of Professional Standards has set up a Prevention and Reduction Team, which is a unique initiative, to reduce the risks associated with deaths following police contact.

“The recently created Custody Directorate will ensure that custody facilities throughout the MPS have clear policy and procedure guidance.

“Added to this, robust systems for investigating and monitoring incidents and new officer training programmes have been introduced. For example all MPS officers are required to undergo and re-qualify for emergency life support courses every three years, with custody officers re-training every 18 months.

“Other initiatives include the ‘safer cells programme’, the introduction of less lethal weapons such as taser stun guns and a number of co-ordinated programmes with partners to tackle mental health issues.

“The MPA’s job is to increase community confidence and trust in London’s police and we fully support the MPS commitment to reducing and preventing these tragedies happening in the future.”

Notes to editors

1. The committee paper ‘Monitoring of deaths following police contact’ presented to the Co-ordination and Policing Committee on 10 June 2005 is published on the MPA website

2. Appendix 1 of the committee paper gives details of the 13 deaths in the past 12 months. It shows the Home Office Category of death and the deceased’s age, gender, ethnic origin and brief circumstances 

3. Home Office Circular 13/2002 defines the definition of deaths following police contact and places each death into one of four categories which are: 

• Category 1: Fatal Road Traffic Incidents Involving Police.
  This definition covers all deaths of members of the public resulting from road incidents involving the police, both where the person who dies is in a vehicle and where they are on foot. 
• Category 2: Fatal Shooting Incidents Involving the Police.
  This definition covers circumstances where police fire the fatal shots. 
• Category 3: Deaths in or Following Custody.
  This definition covers the deaths of persons who have been arrested or otherwise detained by the police. It also includes deaths occurring whilst a person is being arrested or taken into detention. The death may have taken place on police, private or medical premises, in a public place or in a police or other vehicle. 
• Category 4: Deaths during or following other types of contact with police.
  This definition covers circumstances where the person dies during or after some form of contact with police, which did not amount to detention, and there is a link between that contact and the death.

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