An Examination of Issues Related to Deaths After Police Contact

This essay provides a comprehensive discussion of deaths after police contact, analyzing various scenarios such as road traffic fatalities, fatal shootings, and deaths in custody. It delves into the investigations conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and outlines different types of investigations. The essay explores the importance of effective screening procedures, monitoring systems, and training for healthcare professionals and police officers to reduce the number of deaths. It also highlights the significance of cell design, equipment, and healthcare within custody, along with the role of technology in enhancing monitoring processes. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for a multi-faceted approach, including risk assessment, training, and technological advancements, to prevent deaths in police custody and improve overall outcomes. The essay references several academic sources to support its arguments.

Critically discuss an
issue in relation to
deaths after police
contact

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
This essay consists of discussion on relation to death after police contact. This contains
investigations on death after police contact in United States (Ruiz, 2014) . The cases of death
after police contact have the potential to cause deep unease in society. The role of police in
helping people by harming criminals is analysed. According to the Independent Police
Complaints Commission (IPCC), the term “police” consists of police officers, police civilians
and staff from the other organisation. There are different rules that emphasize on the deaths that
took place due to police personnel. Some of them are discussed below-
Road traffic fatalities- These involves death of cyclists, or pedestrians, motorists that arise
through police pursuits or police vehicles. These responds to emergency calls and different
police traffic activity. According to road traffic incident (RTI), deaths where police attends
immediately after emergency service are not included in road traffic fatalities.
Fatal shootings- This involves fatalities in which police officers fire fatal shot by the use of
conventional firearm.
Deaths in or following police custody- This involves death that occur when a person is arrested
or taken into detention. This involves those dead people who are arrested and detained by Police
under the Mental Health Act. This death can occur at a public place, private, police and medical
premises and in a police or other vehicle (Metzl and MacLeish, 2015). This involves the death
which happen in the following ways-
 If a death occurs during or following police custody in which injuries contributes to death
while detention period of a person.
 When a death occurs in hospital or on the way while going to hospital when an individual
is arrested or transferred to police custody.
 When an individual dies by the result of any injury or any other medical problem which
are identified and developed when he is in custody.
 When a person is in police custody due to detention under Mental Health Act or other
associated legislation.
 This does not include deaths or suicides that take place when a person is released from
police custody or deaths that occur when police are called for helping medical staff to
restrain people who are not under arrest.
Apparent suicides following police custody
1

This involves suicides that occur within two days of release from police custody. This
also consists those suicides that happen beyond two days of release from custody. In this case,
time spent in custody can be relevant to death (Thomas and Blackmon, 2015).
Other deaths following police contact- This involves those deaths which follow direct or
indirect contact with police. This does not include arrest or detention under the Mental health
Act. The Independent Police Complaints Commission determines the most serious incidents
which causes highest level of public concern. This determines the greatest potential which
impacts communities and it has serious implications for the image of police service. This
category includes those deaths that includes an independent investigation. This category involves
the following deaths-
 Those deaths which occur after calling the police for attending a domestic incident which
results in a fatality.
 This involves deaths that occur when a person actively attempts for avoiding arrest and
such deaths are self-inflicted.
 Those deaths which occur when police attends a siege situation including a case where
individual kills themselves or anybody else.
 Deaths which are caused after the police has contacted with welfare of person and there is
concern about the nature of police response.
 Deaths those occur where police are called for helping medical staff to restrain
individuals who are not under arrest
Types of investigation
The different types of investigation are carried out by IOPC which are described below-
Independent investigators –
These investigations are carried out by the own investigators of IOPC. The IOPC has all
powers and rights of police while conducting an independent investigation.
Managed Investigators-
These investigations are carried out by police and PSD under the direction and control of
the IOPC.
Supervised investigations –
2

These investigations are carried out by police PSD's under their own control and
direction. The terms of reference for a supervised investigation are set by IOPC. This includes
receiving of the investigation report when it is completed (Nelson and Appleby, 2015).
Local investigations-
The local investigations are carried out by police officers when the IOPC decides that
force has essential resources and experiences for conducting an investigation.
Referred back to force- These includes cases in which IOPC reviews circumstances and returned
the matter back to police force and these are dealt appropriately.
Referred back to force:
In this type of investigation, IOPC review circumstances and return back that particular
matter to the police force. After then police deal with that case as per their appropriateness.
Number of deaths can be reduced by Policy
Custody suite practice:
It is important to effectively done a screening procedures in which a risk is identified.
This can be further followed up with the process of referral and monitoring, for this it is
important to implement best effective monitoring system along with communication. With help
of this proper monitoring of detainee’s condition can be done. Where legislations and guidance
exist in the monitoring of detainees within custody there is not always a possibility to well
understand there conditions. Thus in order to effectively understand detainees conditions it is
important to provide detainees with proper training, retaining along with noticing them in
custody. In addition with this reviews are also evaluated as best custody suit practices within
which formal shifts handover procedure is done in relation with custody suites.
Cell design and equipment:
With the help of technology existing monitoring process within cells can be effectively
enhanced. This is one of the most important factors that can bring change and further improve
the death rate in custody as with the help of proper installing of CCTV cameras are done in
Police cells. Which help of officers to effectively able to monitor risk factor within detainees.
Improve monitoring technology within police custodies enable police officers days to easily
monitor life signs of detainees in a custody environment. They can further make reviews on that
evidences in addition with this with the help of technology sensors can be installed within cells
as to monitor any kind of movements and noise. This technique can further be accompanied by
3

proper guidance and formative techniques as to make cell staff efficient to make appropriate use
of technology within police custody. Cell design and equipments are one of the highlighted
factors which can help to prevent suicides in police custodies are done.
Health care within custody:
At present police forces in US Commission have their sole Healthcare services for this
they have no centrally define model that can further define the manner in which Healthcare are
required to be provided in police custody. Thus it is important to provide effective and
appropriate combination of doctors, nurses, health practitioner’s paramedics and emergency care
units in police custody (Baker and Baker, 2016). Along with this it is also required to provide a
private medical provider in addition with this it is essential to maintain effective collaboration in
between police and NHS staff as this collaboration helps police officers to take positive and
correct feedbacks from nurses doctors and also form detainees.
Training:
This factor of training acts as a key essential elements that can lead towards reduction in
death cases within police custody. It is important to provide training to Healthcare practitioners,
police officers and staff while they perform their task in custody setting. For this the Faculty of
Legal and Forensic Medicines unit are required to play most important role to provide formative
training to those doctors and nurses who offer their services in police custody. In addition with
these Police officers are also required to be trained along with Healthcare professionals as to
effectively fulfil primary goal, which is related to improving mental health issues within their
custody. Mental health is one of the serious issues that are linked with rise in suicide rates within
police custody. Effective training to both police and health practitioners can prove to be a best
effective provision with the help of which shared understanding of responsibilities are facilitated
among them. This will further lead towards working and sharing information in a collaborative
manner.
CONCLUSION
As per the above mentioned report it has been concluded that, there are significant rise in the
Death ratio within police custody in US. There are different types of causes of the death in the
police custody some of that include road traffic fatalities, fatal shooting and apparent suicides
cases. Thus, prevention of death within police custody is required to be effectively considered
4

that can possibly be done with the help of proper screening and assessment of risk factor along
with training to Healthcare professionals and police staffs. In addition with this with the help of
Advanced Technologies proper monitoring of detainees can effectively done that can lead
towards further decrease in the ratio of death rate within custody. Lastly with the help of
Designing safer cells and fulfilling mental health means of detainees improvement in the ratio of
death rate reduction can effectively done.
5

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Metzl, J. M. and MacLeish, K. T., 2015. Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of
American firearms. American journal of public health, 105(2), pp.240-249.
Thomas, A J. and Blackmon, S. K. M., 2015. The influence of the Trayvon Martin shooting on
racial socialization practices of African American parents. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(1),
pp.75-89.
Baker, D. and Baker, D V., 2016. Deaths After Police Contact. Palgrave Macmillan.
Ariel, B., Farrar, W.A. and Sutherland, A., 2015. The effect of police body-worn cameras on use
of force and citizens’ complaints against the police: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of
quantitative criminology, 31(3), pp.509-535.
Chapman, S., Alpers, P. and Jones, M., 2016. Association between gun law reforms and
intentional firearm deaths in Australia, 1979-2013. Jama, 316(3), pp.291-299.
Ruiz and et. al., 2014. Understanding death in custody: a case for a comprehensive
definition. Journal of bioethical inquiry, 11(3), pp.387-398.
Nelson, C. D. and Appleby, R., 2015. Conflict, militarization, and their after‐effects: Key
challenges for TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 49(2), pp.309-332.
Wandling, M. W., Nathens, A. B., Shapiro, M. B. and Haut, E. R., 2016. Police transport versus
ground EMS: a trauma system-level evaluation of prehospital care policies and their effect on
clinical outcomes. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 81(5), pp.931-935.
Hohl and et. al., 2017. Association of drug and alcohol use with adolescent firearm homicide at
individual, family, and neighborhood levels. JAMA internal medicine, 177(3), pp.317-324.
6