Source · IOPC Learning Case

Recommendation - Hertfordshire Constabulary, March 2021

Hertfordshire Constabulary Ref: 2019/122332 Recommended 9 Mar 2021 Response due 4 May 2021

Custody and detention

A detainee sustained a serious injury following his arrest and detention for drunk and disorderly behaviour. The detainee was handcuffed to the rear and seated on the bench inside a police van when the cage doors were closed. The officer closing the cage door stopped once notified by another officer but not before the detainee had received an injury to the middle finger on his left hand. The officers provided first aid and transported him to hospital. Here it was …

View on IOPC website ↗

Recommendations

1 total

Recommendation 1

The IOPC recommends that the National Association for Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) shares advice and guidance on the use of finger trap shields in police vehicles. This should specifically relate to any vehicle fitted with a cage used to transport detained persons. This follows a case where an individual who was calm and compliant was placed in the back of a police van. When the doors were shut, he sustained a serious injury having got his finger trapped in the cage door hinge. During the consultation period with the NAPFM, the IOPC have been made aware of work that has already begun to highlight this issue and develop guidance. Do you accept the recommendation? Yes

Addressed to: National Association for Police Fleet Managers

Linked bodies: National Association for Police Fleet Managers

Accepted

Force response

Accepted action: This was raised to the NAPFM technical group, which prompted the following actions:-