Statistics & Reform

4WardEverUK

Cops pledge CCTV in police vans after campaign

CCTV VAN DRIVERLondon’s Metropolitan Police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has announced his intention to install CCTV cameras in all police cars and vans. 

This has been a demand of the families of those who have died in police custody for many years.

Hogan-Howe told the LBC radio station, “If we misbehave it will capture it, but, equally, for the people who misbehave or make false allegations, it will capture it.” But he added, “We have got to have a conversation with our staff because they may feel threatened by that.”

A number of custody deaths are believed to have taken place in police vehicles. And campaigners believe the cameras will help provide evidence in future cases. One such death was Sean Rigg at Brixton police station in 2008.

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Tippa Naphtali

Call for police to wear body cameras

Body Camera LensTippa Naphtali was 41 when his cousin Mikey Powell died in police custody. The fight to learn the truth about what really happened on the night of September 7, 2003, caused Tippa to quit his job in London and return to Birmingham. Eight years later, the Yardley-based charity worker is still searching for justice.

The online petition >

While a criminal trial against the police officers involved collapsed due to lack of evidence, an inquest jury last year found that Mr Powell died from the position he was placed in the police van.

The same inquest ruled that there were “police failings” in how the 38-year-old father of two, who had a history of mental illness, was arrested. In particular, they said he became more vulnerable after being sprayed with CS gas, hit by a moving police car and restrained on the ground.

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Tippa Naphtali

Safer in Custody stats published

Secluded Prisoneroriginal source: IAP
22nd July 2010

The Ministry of Justice today published its Safer in Custody Statistics Bulletin for 2009 which provides an analysis on deaths, self harm and violence in prison.

The statistics are an important source of information for those interested in understanding and improving safety in prison and other custodial settings.

The publication analyses deaths, self-harm and violence in prison custody, looking at trends across age, gender and time in prison custody. The bulletin is released by the Ministry of Justice and produced in accordance with arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

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