Antrim Serious Crime Suite

1
Antrim Serious Crime Suite
Presentation to the Custody Visitors Association
Assistant Chief Constable Roy Toner Operational
Support Department
5 November 2005
2
United Nations Resolution 43173
Principle 1 All persons under any form of
detention or imprisonment shall be treated in a
humane manner and with respect for the inherent
dignity of the human person. Principle 6 No
person under any form of detention or
imprisonment shall be subjected to torture or
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment.
3
European Convention on Human Rights
Article 3 No one shall be subjected to torture or
to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
4
History of Safeguards

• 1979 The Bennett Committee Report into Police
  Detention
• 1980 Introduction of Video Monitoring of
  Interview Rooms
• 1993 Establishment of Independent Commissioner
  for Detained Terrorist
• Suspects
• 1999 Introduction of Audio Recording of
  interviews
• 2001 Introduction of Video Recording with sound
  of Interviews
• 2003 Introduction of CCTV with sound throughout
  the custody suite
• 2005 Custody Visitors remit extended to cover
  Terrorist Detainees.

5
History of Holding Centres
Patten 62 The three holding centres should be
closed forthwith and all suspects should in
future be detained in custody suites based in
police stations.

• Holding Centres at
• Strand Road (Closed Oct 2000)
• Gough (Closed Sept 2001)
• Castlereagh (Closed Dec 1999)
• Temporary facility at Lisburn between 2001and
  2003
• 2004 Purpose built Serious Crime Suite opens in
  Antrim

6
Legislation

• Northern Ireland Emergency Provisions
• Act
• Prevention of Terrorism Act
• Terrorism Act 2000
• Human Rights Act 1998

7
Facilities at Antrim

• 21 Cells
• 11 Interview Rooms
• 6 Solicitor Consultation Rooms
• 2 Medical Rooms
• Showers
• In cell toilets, wash basins and
• drinking water.
• Exercise yard

8
Electronic Facilities

• Digital CCTV with sound throughout
• Monitoring and recording of interviews
• Remote monitoring facilities
• Cell call facility allows detainee to
• request assistance
• Lifesigns Monitoring

9
Custody CCTV

• Digital Audit to prevent tampering
• Over 150 Cameras
• Over 50 microphones
• Images held for at least 90 days
• All areas covered with exclusion of
• medical rooms and consultation rooms

10
Monitoring of Interviews

• Interviews monitored by Custody
• Inspector (Vision Only)
• Custody Visitors can remotely
• monitor
• Senior Investigating Officers can
• monitor remotely
• A light in the interview room
• informs detainee of monitoring

11
Lifesigns Cell Monitoring

• 5 cells equipped
• System monitors slight
• movements
• If breathing or heart stops,
• alarm sounds

12
Medical Examinations

• Detainees are medically examined
• upon arrival at the suite
• A daily offer of a medical
• examination is made to the detainee
• The detainee is examined prior to
• release or transfer to court
• The detainee can request an
• examination at any time

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Independent Commissioner for Detained Terrorist
Suspects
Report March 2004 Medical standard of service
provided is excellent
14
Exercise Yard

• Open to fresh air
• Detainees should have access
• daily

15
Dealing with Diversity

• Procedures in place to cater for different diets
  whether
• religious or medical
• Religious books can be supplied
• Prayer mats available
• Disabled toilets and access

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Access to legal advice

• Detainees have the right to have a legal advisor
  present

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Hygiene

• Showers
• In cell toilets and wash basins
• Clean linen supplied
• Cells cleaned between detainees
• Shaving and washing items
• supplied

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Interviews

• Video Recorded
• Audio recorded
• Set times
• Rest periods
• Solicitor present

19
Court Applications

• Video Link to the
• Royal Courts of Justice
• Solicitor Present

20
Crime Scene Investigation Rooms

• Clean Rooms to capture forensic
• evidence
• Covered by CCTV with privacy area
• Procedures in place to ensure no cross
• contamination

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Complaints

• Inspector can receive Complaints
• Ombudsman Investigates
• CCTV can rebut or Substantiate
• Forensic Medical Officer can provide medical
• evidence

22
The Future?

• Musgrave Street 50 cells with 20 capable of
  acting as a
• serious crime suite
• Detention for - 90 days 75 days 28 days ?

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Thank you
ACC Roy Toner Operational Support Department
Tuesday, 17 November 2009