Recommendation - Bedfordshire Police, November 2020
Recommendation date: 24 November 2020
Response due: 19 January 2021
Published: 18 March 2021
Welfare and vulnerable people
A single crewed officer was driving a police vehicle with a female passenger seated in the rear of the vehicle. The woman had known mental health issues and was being transported to hospital for voluntary assessment, when the officer noticed that the woman had placed her seatbelt around her neck and had leant forward. The woman was unconscious, not breathing and the officer performed CPR after removing the woman from the vehicle.
Recommendations (2)
Recommendation 1
Accepted
Recommendation
The IOPC recommends that Bedfordshire Police should review and amend their policy and guidance regarding the transportation of vulnerable individuals with single crewed officers. The same policy, guidance, risk assessments and safeguarding considerations for those arrested or formally detained should … Read more
Force Response
Accepted action: Locally there are a few BCH policies that touch on this and the guidance in the policies are as follows: However, to be too restrictive would hamper safeguarding and operational delivery and the police primary responsibility for ‘protecting … Read more
Recommendation 2
Accepted
Recommendation
The IOPC recommends that Bedfordshire Police implement a robust protocol with the ambulance service that addresses the transportation of vulnerable people, who have not been arrested or formally detained, and require transportation for mental health support. Do you accept the … Read more
Force Response
Accepted action: Locally there are a few BCH policies that touch on this and the guidance in the policies are as follows: However , to be too restrictive would hamper safeguarding and operational delivery and the police primary responsibility for … Read more