Police custody deaths data show a worrying upward trend
Data published today show a continued increase in the number of deaths in police custody, with 24 deaths in 2023/24. This is higher than the average of 19 police custody deaths per year since records began in 2004/05.
These tragic – and occasionally preventable – deaths speak to the urgency with which policing leaders, as well as Ministers, must take action to safeguard the lives of those in custody.
Individuals with vulnerabilities continue to be disproportionately represented in the data. Of the 24 individuals who died, 19 had mental health concerns and 21 had underlying issues relating to drugs and/or alcohol. One person died in a police custody suite after making an apparent suicide attempt – the first death of this kind since 2016/17.
Of particular concern is the rise in the number of apparent suicides within 48 hours of release from police custody, increasing by more than a quarter from 54 deaths in 2022/23 to 68 in 2023/24. We have been working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing to consider how to bring down these deaths which remain consistently high. Our work has focused on ensuring robust assessment and management of risks and the joining-up of community services to provide support.
Preventing deaths in custody is a shared responsibility, requiring input and support from health, criminal justice, local authority, and voluntary sector partners. But it must be driven by Ministerial leadership to ensure action to prevent deaths is galvanised and sustained. We therefore call on the Government to renew and develop the commitment to a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to police custody deaths.