Scheme Structure
The principles of the scheme are that:
- Custody Visitors should visit police stations of their choice within their allocated district.
- Visits should be random and unannounced.
- Inspections should be made of the detention facilities, and interviews held with detained persons (with their prior consent.).
- A report of each visit is completed at the time of the custody visit and copies are supplied by the Custody Visitor to the Police Authority and reported to the Community Partnership Committee.
It is recommended custody visits should be made at a frequency
of between once per week and once per month, in accordance with the
general directions agreed by the Police Authority. At the busier
police stations, visitors may be selective in the number of
detainees they choose to interview.
At present there are 48 Merseyside Independent Custody Visitors.
Each Custody Visitor is allocated to a police area and may visit,
with a colleague, any police station within the police area.
At the Annual Meeting of Custody Visitors, a Chairman and
Vice-Chairman are elected for the Scheme. A total of five District
Representatives are also elected to represent Custody Visitors at
meetings, and to help co-ordinate visiting rotas.
Four quarterly meetings are held per year. District Representatives
meetings are held as and when required.
Custody Visitors are allowed to claim casual car user mileage
allowance and any other associated out-of-pocket expenses.
