North Staffordshire volunteers from all walks of life and backgrounds are being sought by the Police and Crime Commissioner to do spot checks on police custody units.
The role is vital to ensure public confidence in Staffordshire Police treating the public with dignity and respect if they happen to end up in custody.
Volunteers are needed from a variety of backgrounds, from 18 years and over for the northern panel, which visits the 24/7 northern area facility in Etruria.
Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) make unannounced checks to examine the conditions in police cells and the welfare of people in custody, as part of the PCC’s statutory duty and important scrutiny of policing in the county. Other measures to ensure greater transparency include Safer Neighbourhood Panels and the Ethics, Transparency and Audit Panel.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Sue Arnold urged people to come forward to find out more about the important roles.
‘Holding the police to account for their actions and ensuring they are subjected to the right level of scrutiny is a fundamental part of the police and crime commissioner’s office.
‘But independent custody visitors also provide a vital link between the community and police and help maintain public confidence in the custody system.
‘We’re looking for people from varied backgrounds to give a balance when dealing with detainees and ideally we’d like to more people from different cultures and more young people to take part.’
Visitors work in pairs and can check police cells – where they are granted access to detainees – at any time day or night to make sure custody rules are being observed. They follow a code of conduct and are fully trained before they start.
Volunteers, who receive training and travel expenses, are expected to make a minimum number of visits a year and regularly attend panel meetings.
Anyone who would like an application form or more information should ring Jane Milgate 01785 232245 or visit http://www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/independent-custody-visitors
