Pubdate: Mon, 28 Oct 2002
Source: Independent  (UK)
Copyright: 2002 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.independent.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/209
Author: Jason Bennetto, Crime Correspondent

POLICE ARE BLAMED FOR DRUG DEATHS IN CUSTODY

Police officers failed to notice in time that prisoners were
critically ill in nine out of ten drug-related deaths in custody, a
study has found.

In a significant number of cases involving fatal overdoses, prisoners
were able to smuggle drugs past police and take them while in custody,
the research also discovered.

The head of research at the independent Police Complaints Authority
[PCA] blamed the "poor" and "inadequate" training of custody officers
for the high number of deaths.

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the PCA examined 42
drug-related deaths in custody in 22 forces in England and Wales since
March 1997. In 88 per cent of the deaths, the police did not call for
a doctor or medical help before the prisoner became ill. In some
deaths, the police believe the inmate was faking an overdose; others
thought they had taken drugs but did not call an ambulance; and some
thought the prisoner was drunk
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