Dear Mr Singleton

Inquest touching upon the death of Mr Michael Poulton

I am writing to you on behalf of the Chief Constable and in response to your Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths dated 13 February 2023. In anticipation of the closure of Melksham Custody in February 2023, Wiltshire Police (‘the Force”) have developed and implemented a scheme entitled the Vulnerable Detainee Transportation Scheme. The Vulnerable Detainee Transportation Scheme focuses on ensuring that detained persons (“DPs”) are able to return home safely at the earliest opportunity following their release from custody. This process starts from the DPs initial arrest via a “Ring B4 U Bring Scheme”, whereby a Prisoner Transport Team (“PTT”)/ Police Officers tasked to convey a DP to custody are also tasked with obtaining details of the DPs family/ friends and ensuring that DPs are in possession of phones, means of payment and medications etc., at that early stage. This information is to be captured on the Detainee Handover Form. The Vulnerable Detainee Transportation Scheme also requires scrutiny of a DP’s ability to use public transport and makes provision for a taxi home at the expense of the Force, depending on an assessment of the individual DP’s risk level for harm and their vulnerability, as defined by the Police & Criminal Evidence Act Code G. For the most vulnerable DPs, the police will convey them home and an additional Detainee Release Details template has been added to the custody detention log for the purpose of such an assessment. The form includes details such as the name of the Community Policing Team (“CPT”) Sergeant requested to arrange a lift home for the DP, the time they were contacted, what was agreed, the transportation’s expected time of arrival and whether the DP has been informed about this.

Once a request for transportation has been made, the on-duty Custody Officer is required to remind CPT Sergeants that PTTs/Police Officers tasked to transport DPs home from Custody are not to be diverted/delayed other than in exceptional circumstances. On the rare occasions when PTTs/Police Officers are diverted or delayed, CPT Sergeants must contact the on-duty Custody Officer to discuss this and make alternative travel arrangements for the DP.

The on-duty Custody Officer must then ensure that the DP is updated with any change/ delay to their lift home.

The Ring B4 U Bring and Vulnerable Detainee Transportation Schemes are intended to be permanently in place across the Force area going forward. I can also confirm that details of these schemes have been disseminated Force-wide via the Corporate Communications team’s E-Briefs, as well as being highlighted to the Chief Inspector and Inspector cohorts, Custody Sergeants, Detention Officers, Variable Hours Detention Officers and Custody Co-ordinators. Training on these schemes will be given to all new Custody Sergeants. Details of the schemes are also located on the Force’s SharePoint intranet site, which is accessible to all police officers and police staff. I enclose with this letter copies of the following:
1. Ring B4 U Bring Scheme Briefing
2. Vulnerable Detainee Transportation Scheme
3. Detainee Handover Form
4. Detainee Release Form
5. Detainee Release details template

May I conclude by again extending our sincere condolences to Mr Poulton’s family for his loss.

I hope that the details of the aforementioned schemes implemented by the Force will reassure you and Mr Poulton’s family that we have fully addressed the issues raised during the course of his inquest.