FOI 243699
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 243699
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 21st April 2023. Please find below the response to your request:
I was wondering if you kept any records on the number of disabled people your officers and PCSOs have contact with "disabled" people?
I am thinking of things like the following for 5 Years:
- Disabled drivers that were stopped, detained & arrested?
- Disabled person(s) being arrested?
- Disabled person(s) being charged & bailed?
- Disabled person(s) being taken to custody?
- Which custody suites have disabled access?
- Do your Officers & PCSO have any training with or about disabled people?
- Do your Officers & PCSO have any training with people with serious disabled people (for example a person on a ventilator)?
- What policies do you have in place for dealing with disabled people apart from the Disability Discrimination Act?
Reply
- Disabled drivers that were stopped, detained & arrested?
2020 – 3
2021 – 1
2022 – 1
- Disabled person(s) being arrested?
Below details the number of individuals, stated as disabled, who were arrested and went through custody from 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2022
|
Year |
Custody/Arrest Data |
|
2018 |
4 |
|
2019 |
2 |
|
2020 |
13 |
|
2021 |
3 |
|
2022 |
3 |
|
Grand Total |
25 |
- Disabled person(s) being charged & bailed?
Furthermore, the below details the number of individuals, stated as disabled, who were charged and bailed from 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2022;
|
Year |
Charge & Bailed Data |
|
2020 |
1 |
|
2021 |
1 |
|
2022 |
1 |
|
Grand Total |
3 |
- Disabled person(s) being taken to custody?
Answered in Q2
- Which custody suites have disabled access?
From building control perspective “Building Control approvals are focused on the Building Regulations, which are minimum statutory standards. Reasonableness under the Equality Act 2010 may dictate that more onerous standards should be applied. These include, but are not limited to: BS8300, DfT Inclusive Mobility, Sport England Accessible Sports Facilities, and Visit Britain National Accessible Scheme”
Our suites can accommodate wheelchair users, we have accessibility to toilet facilities out of cell and we also have Wheel Chairs available in most blocks
‘Disabilities’ covers a wide spectrum visual impairment, mobility issues, neurodiversity. Therefore this is quite an open question, for instance predominantly most of our facilities in Custody can accommodate wheel chair access, we have accessibility toilets within custody. However the custody environment as it currently is will often impact people with neurodiversity issues due to high sound and highly speculative paint services (i.e. gloss paint, shiny work surfaces that reflect sound, loud noises and light which all can have an impact).
We don’t have ramps into the doors of Custody, however there are accessible routes into Custody via other routes and other than the custody desks the rest of the blocks are not on a split level therefore suitable as well as a large proportion of the doorways to key elements.
- Do your Officers & PCSO have any training with or about disabled people?
- Do your Officers & PCSO have any training with people with serious disabled people (for example a person on a ventilator)?
West Mercia’s initial training for student officers, Specials and PCSO’s follow the published curriculum from the College of Policing for the relevant course. For student officers this is either the ‘Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship’ or ‘Degree Holder Entry Programme’, for Specials, ‘Initial Learning for Special Constables’ and for PCSO’s ‘Initial Learning for PCSO’s’. These all cover vulnerability in a variety of ways ranging from responsibilities under the Equality Act to practical considerations for operational officers
Public and Personal Safety Training does not necessarily provide any training about disabled people however, PPST does run the refresher training for officers which includes scenarios involving people with disabilities. For example, we run a scenario involving a person in a wheelchair and how to respectfully search when such a situation occurs.
- What policies do you have in place for dealing with disabled people apart from the Disability Discrimination Act?
Disability is covered in a number of our policies, for example our Attendance Policy, Capability Policy, Workplace Adjustment Policy, and Early Ill Health Retirement (Officers) Policy. We comply with our legal duty under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and evidence our compliance by completing equality impact assessments (EIA) for our policies. We complete EIAs not only because it is the right thing to do but because we want to make sure that the West Mercia Police is inclusive and fair.