The county’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner (DPCC) Sue Arnold met the High Sheriff of Staffordshire Ann Fisher and local Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) yesterday to see the work being carried out in the Northern Area Custody Facility.
Voluntary ICVs check on the wellbeing of people held in custody by Staffordshire Police. The 45 volunteers make regular, unannounced visits to custody sites throughout the year, including the Northern Area Custody Facility in Stoke-on-Trent. The visitors work to a strict code of conduct and are fully trained before they embark on their special duties. They work in pairs and can check police cells – where they are granted access to detainees – at any time of the day or night to make sure custody rules are being observed.
The roles of ICVs are crucial – not just to the people in custody, but also in promoting public confidence in the system which is essential to making Staffordshire safer.
Last year, Mrs Arnold put in place new procedures making the job of ICVs easier by giving them direct access to electronic custody records – saving custody sergeants around 390 hours a year.
She said: “Volunteering is a critical part of making communities work, and in this case helping to make the custody system work better.
“It was a privilege to show the great work being carried out by the volunteer ICVs to the High Sheriff of Staffordshire. They play a huge part in society and are central to ensuring an open and transparent police service.”
Ann Fisher said: “It was fantastic to see the hard work being carried out by volunteers in custody facilities across Staffordshire.
“It was fascinating to see a custody facility in action and the ICV’s dedication and professionalism was clear for all to see”
The ICVs now use Twitter to allow people to see what was happening at the time in the custody suite from their perspective. For updates follow @CustodyVisitors.
Anyone interested in joining, or finding out more, should call Jane Milgate on 01785 232245 or visit the PCC website at
