Hampshire Police Authority

24 September 2002

Custody Visits to Police Stations - January - June 2002

Report of the Convenor of the South East Panel

1. Introduction

1.1 This report was jointly compiled by the outgoing convenor and the new convenor due to a change at the end of March 2002. There has been no change in the structure of the panel, and the majority of the panel attended the Annual Seminar and Training Day at Netley in June which they found to be most beneficial.

2. Custody Visits made January - June 2002

Where access was impossible or not pursued the reasons given were as follows:

Refused 41

On interview 23

Advised against 9

Rest period 3

Language problem 4

Drunk 2

Out of station 3

Infectious disease 1

Refused to sign 1

Released 9

3. General Remarks

3.1 Portsmouth Central

Generally well received but there were concerns that the staffing levels were low at times. The state of the decoration appears to be getting poor in a number of cells. The blanket box in the female wing was not fixed securely to the wall.

3.2 Waterlooville

The Custody suite is always clean and tidy and visits are always well received. The charging area is often excessively hot.

3.3 Fareham

The welcome is always warm at this station. It is almost always very clean and tidy. A high proportion of the cells need urgent remedial work to very loose plaster.

3.4 Gosport

Custody area always clean, tidy and welcoming. A number of detainees spoke highly of the care and attention received from the staff. There was concern regarding the total lack of privacy for detainees taking a shower, it is totally open and cannot provide any privacy whatsoever.

3.5 Havant

Concern over the general state. There is an impression that the suite is not used and it is beginning to smell musty and generally unpleasant. If the station were to be used it was felt that an amount of work would need to be undertaken to bring it up to a fit state for detention purposes.

3.6 Southsea

The suite is generally empty and is always in a sparkling state.

4. Other comments

The panel found no breaches of Codes of Practice governing the treatment of detainees.

The panel did wish to thank Ruth Pepper for her period of leadership over the last few years as the Convenor for the panel until the end of March 2002.

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