Custody Detention Officer

During our Initial Training Course (ITC), we learnt that good interpersonal skills and a non-judgmental approach are essential when working with detained people. We were shown the correct way to carry out the duties expected of a Custody Detention Officer (CDO) as well as the consequences of not adhering to PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) regulations. As a CDO, the welfare and safety of the detained people in our care is of paramount importance.

There are many important aspects of a CDO’s day to day role. A typical day for me starts with my first task, which is to carry out a tour around the custody area I am looking after that day. In this tour, I check every detained person who is in custody and ensure that they are well. Working alongside my colleagues, I also check every empty cell for any damage and make sure that all equipment in the custody area is safe and in working order. This is to ensure that it is safe for detained people and all custody staff to use.

The next task that we carry out is the daily court run and this is where we prepare and hand over any detained people who are due to appear in court that day. Following this, we clean the vacated cells so that they are ready to be used again for any more detained people who may come into custody. After this, we then hand out breakfast to the remaining detained people in the custody area. Throughout the day, we carry out regular checks on the detained people in custody to ensure that they are OK and to carry out any reasonable requests that they may have and that they have the right to have.

During our tour of duty, we escort detained people to and from the police surgeon for assessment as well as dispensing any medicine which has been prescribed for them. We also escort detained people to and from solicitor consultations and interviews. Whilst detained people are in custody and if they are here for a recordable offence, we also obtain fingerprints, photographs and DNA samples which are then retained on the police force database.

There are many other day to day roles that we carry out such as general admin duties, first aid, restraint when needed and searching. All these duties have to be prioritised to enable the smooth running of the custody suite. At the end of the shift we hand over to the oncoming shift and make sure that they know the history of all the detained people in the custody area including any behavioural, medical and general issues.