A new PFI-built police station was commissioned at Northfleet near Gravesend,
Kent in May 2008 and contained within is a state of the art 40-cell custody suite
managed by Inspector Ivan Beasley of the North Kent Police.

What is the extent of your responsibilities here at his new police station at Northfleet?
Ivan Beasley (IB) I have responsibility for everything that goes on in the custody area. Specifically I have responsibility for conducting policies and procedures applicable to custodial matters, the tasking and administration of personnel in the custody suite and the care and security of the detainees.

IB We had facilities at Gravesend and Dartford, built late 50s early 60s, both of which we had outgrown. Detainees were held at Gravesend police station where there were 18 cells plus one holding area, three interview rooms, a medical room, a small kitchen and another room used for finger printing. There was a second custody area at Dartford with 7 cells used for Operation Safeguard, that is prison overspill. The number of detainees far outweighed the facilities available so we had to move some of our prisoners into neighbouring areas. A lot of the prisoners we were dealing with were in Tonbridge custody or Medway custody and we wasted valuable time travelling as well as running a disjointed management system.

…….and now?
IB Within a brand new police station we have a ‘state of the art’ custody suite with 40 cells. There are ten interview rooms with an additional room opposite each so we can keep solicitors and/or other representatives close by so we don’t waste time getting interviews underway.We have a large medical room with first class facilities, generous office space and storerooms.The forecast is that the facility will have a life of 35 years so provision has been made for expansion, sometimes called ‘future proofing’. We moved in 4 months or so ago and we are just getting over some teething troubles; that is with some aspects of the building and with the technology.These things only come to light when first a new facility is up and running and a tweak, as in this case, usually puts thing right.

What new technical aspects have been incorporated in the new suite?
IB Movement is controlled absolutely, there are proximity cards on every door so we can control who goes where in the suite from the custody desk. We also know, from that information being auditable, who has gone where. Every operational area has a comprehensive CCTV system which includes a confidentiality option for client/lawyer conference. The custody desk is the control centre, allowing and preventing access, monitoring movement and hazards, prisoner surveillance and alarm response.

How does the custody process unfold from when a detainee arrives?
IB The vehicle carrying the detainee comes into the vehicle bay and the door is closed behind it; the prisoner is now in a contained area. Immediately available is access to an exercise yard for decontamination and cleansing. The yard is a controlled area with free flowing air and where soiled clothing can be taken away. Suitably clothed, the detainee enters a holding room where information is available in the form of posters in several languages. For people re-offending it’s just a formality but there are others who are there for the first time, are very vulnerable, have little idea of what is going on and it helps them to settle and calm down. They are then searched and documented by a custody sergeant and become the subject of a very strong care regime before being presented to the custody desk where the legal paperwork is done. We have nursing staff on hand and rapid access to other specialists like drug workers and mental health professionals.

The custody desk is huge, like the bridge of a ship, I’m 6’3” and can just peer over the top. It is intimidating; what if the detainee is (say) 5’3”, what happens then?
IB Yes……the desk is new and we are still getting used to it. It’s one of the things in custody we are undecided about. I’m not sure whether it’s the right piece of equipment for our needs. It does give a commanding view of the action and along the cell wings. The detainees are never out of sight, not only are the custody officers watching them but there is a CCTV camera in every cell fed to monitors on the custody desk. Behind the custody desk are three smaller desks, on each are three terminals or screens, one is for booking-in electronically, the second screen is for controlling the cameras (between the three screens we can watch all the 40 cells simultaneously) and the third screen is an electronic map of the whole custody area monitoring the doors, highlighting hazards and locating alarm calls. We retain the CCTV in line with the Data Protection Act and policies.

Looking at the layout it’s quite noticeable that a centre line could be drawn through the facility to produce two almost identical but symmetrical halves; two docks, two exercise areas, two lots of 20 cells and so on; is there a reason why it was designed that way?
IB There are several advantages, for example when we have a small number of detainees we are able to close down half the facility, also during an operation we could assist by dedicating half of our suite to another force and their staff. In a contingency, fire for instance, we might still be able to operate half of the facility when the other half is down. I think it’s a very flexible arrangement. At our usual rate of business we will not fill 40 cells 24/7 but we can anticipate a growth and so we are ahead in that respect. Having secure facilities we are able to accommodate inmates from prisons to deal with ongoing business. Also with two vehicle docks and four holding cells we can deal with everything promptly as well as keeping detainees separate which often is an operational necessity. We can also isolate people who are making trouble, that is disturbing the calm efficiency regime we aim to foster.

Does it follow that the generous operational space and the other first class facilities in the new custody suite releases more policemen for patrol?
IB (Wry smile detected) The whole point of having a large, well appointed, flexible custody area is that we can get detainees into the station safely and processed quickly. We aim for a smooth transition from the outside into a safe, secure and caring environment The actual time spent by an officer in the police station after an arrest, that is handing the prisoner over, doing the paperwork and getting back out has been shortened substantially.We use our Resources efficiently and effectively to maximise the number of officers we can get working outside the station.

Thank you, Inspector Beasley, for introducing the Review to your new Custody Suite.