Sian Jones

The MATTERS OF CONCERN related to policy in respect of the monitoring of non detained members of the public by police officers.

I heard evidence at inquest that there is no specific protocol or training regarding the monitoring of members of the public in police stations who are not in police custody. This was acknowledged by the Metropolitan Police Service to be a gap. In seeking to plug this gap by way of policy development, it may be helpful for you to consider the following.

 Snoring is not always a reassuring sign and may indicate a partial airway obstruction. A partial airway obstruction can be life threatening.

 In considering whether snoring is sign for concern, the fact of intoxication by alcohol or drugs or both – even if the individual is capable – is highly relevant. In addition, officers should bear in mind that members of the public sometimes lie about alcohol or drug taking, even when there seems no obvious reason to lie.

 Any relevant information gleaned by officers, for example that an individual is a methadone user, should be passed on to colleagues with responsibility (and preferably recorded in some way or other).

 The only way of determining whether snoring is benign is by rousing, most particularly by waking the individual and determining whether they are able to sit up and hold a conversation.

 The rousing itself may have a therapeutic purpose even over and above its value as a tool of assessment. And an unresponsive individual must be treated as a medical emergency.

 All police officers and staff should know the location of the nearest defibrillator. If they are attending a police station for the first time, they should make themselves aware of its location. In terms of feedback regarding officer training generally and for the officer who led this resuscitation attempt, I should also point out that after Ms Jones’s cardiorespiratory arrest, the cardiopulmonary resuscitation given was later noted by a paramedic to be extremely effective.