❔ Should we have #child-only #police detention?
Around a decade ago Sir Peter Fahy (then chief constable of Greater Manchester Police), told me that he wanted to build separate custody blocks for children.
As far as I know, no force has pursued that ambition. But many are seeking to improve custody for children. Examples include dedicated wings, separate entrances, extra/ training, and murals on the walls.
Arguably, separate facilities are a logical conclusion, and could move us closer to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:
👍 A distinct approach for children
👍 No mixing with adults
👍 Workforce specialisation (training and experience)
👍 Different physical design to reduce trauma.
So it’s perhaps understandable that Sir Peter looked surprised when I didn’t immediately voice my full-throated support. However, my reservations remain the same today:
1️⃣ If this means fewer facilities over a wider geographic spread (and I imagine it would):
⚠ Will children be taken out of their communities, further from home?
⚠ Will parents find it even more difficult to access their child – whether acting as #AppropriateAdults or taking them home.
⚠ Will it make coordinating with local community services and support who are familiar with the child, for things like bail support and alternative accommodation, more difficult?
2️⃣ There’s a risk of normalisation:
⚠Is ‘child-friendly police custody’ a contradiction in terms?
⚠Might police feel less pressure to pursue alternatives (like voluntary interview) if the facilities seem purpose-built for children?
⚠Might a ‘nicer’ environment lower the sense of urgency to expedite release?
3️⃣ How different would they be?
⚠ With police stations being sold off to raise cash, could these really be new facilities?
⚠ Wouldn’t they still have to comply with PACE and design regulations?
⚠ What changes couldn’t also benefit everyone (including vulnerable adults)?
My instinct is that we need to:
💡Improve police detention for everyone, with inclusive physical and process design
💡Explore a genuinely distinct approach for children that provides an alternative to police detention for children.
What do you think? Do you think those are the right concerns? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? What are the alternatives?
