Only approved techniques and methods should be used when placing a violent detainee in a cell. A healthcare professional (HCP) should assess and monitor a violent detainee’s condition, when the underlying reason for their violence is not apparent. All uses of force must be proportionate, lawful and necessary in the circumstances. Officers will be accountable for all instances where force is used.

The Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody has published common principles for safer restraint Officers should not leave a detainee without any clothing as an alternative to constant supervision. For further information, see Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM) guidance on managing ABD in custody. Information Where detainees have been searched on arrest, they should not be left unsupervised until they have been presented to the custody officer, who will decide whether or not a further search is necessary. Such decisions, and any searches arising from them, must comply with PACE and the codes of practice. The search, the extent of the search and the subsequent retention of any article that the detainee has with them, depend on the decision made by the custody officer. Officers must search vehicles used to transport detainees before and after use and, where practicable, in the presence of the detainee.As soon as practicable after arrival at the custody suite, all arrested persons who have been subjected to conducted energy device (CED) discharge must be examined by a specially trained healthcare professional (HCP) working in General Forensic Medicine. For the purpose of this requirement, HCPs are: Staff should treat detainees with dignity and respect and aim to de-escalate any situations that may lead to force having to be used. Custody officers should manage their environment so that situations where the use of force may be necessary are de-escalated.

Officers should use all available information to assess the threat and risks of the situation. They should consider what legal powers or policy they may use and be guided by the Code of Ethics. Police officers are frequently required to deal with potentially violent situations and may need to use control and restraint techniques. Principles of using force in custody Officers must make a record of any force used on any person who has been arrested (including those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 for management information. Risk assessment and decision making should be guided by APP on the NDM, APP on Risk principles and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (2012) Personal Safety Manual of Guidance (available via College Learn to registered users only). With specific reference to restraint and drug use, restraint is significantly more likely to be used in a drug-related arrest than during a non-drug-related case. IPCC (2010) Deaths in or following police custody: An examination of the cases 1998/99 – 2008/09 found that of the 56 drug-related cases of death in or following custody, 43% had involved restraint of the individual. Most commonly, the restraint technique involved officers holding down the individual.At the earliest opportunity following arrival at the custody suite, officers should give a detainee who has been subjected to a Taser discharge an information leaflet describing the device, its mode of operation and effects. Officers should fully explain this leaflet. Paragraph 34(2) of Schedule 4 to the Police Reform Act 2002 confers on designated escort officers a power to search and seize while in transit from the place of arrest to the police station. Detainees experiencing the effects of alcohol, drugs, a mental health condition or a medical condition are particularly vulnerable to the impact of being restrained. A custody office is a controlled environment and the overriding objectives should be to avoid using force in custody. Officers should note that the effects of a violent struggle or restraint and build-up of lactic acid can exacerbate the effects of drugs, alcohol or medication. Powers and policy Use of force