Police custody
GSl offers customised support services to meet the particular needs of individual police authorities. We listen to our clients to gain a thorough understanding of their requirements and the associated challenges and work in partnership with them to design solutions to deliver non core services that provide best value and meet or exceed measurable ouput-based performance standards.
Civilian detention officers
With our wealth of experience GSL can support the Police Services with the provision of civilian detention officers whose roles include:
- Assisting the custody officer in the secure detention, care and welfare of detained persons, ensuring compliance with the provision of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Codes of Practice and guidance contained within the ACPO safer detention and handling of persons in police custody document
- Phase 2 Livescan investigative procedures
- Management and operation of visual identification procedures
- Performing administrative tasks associated with custody
Staff selection
Successful partnerships rely on getting the right people for the job with a workforce that reflects the community. Staff are selected for their attitude and trained for aptitude with particular emphasis on interpersonal skills.
Comprehensive background checking and security clearance of staff is provided by a GSL specialist validation consultancy that is a registered body with the Criminal Records Bureau and Disclosure Scotland and authorised to carry out criminal records checks and checks against people who have been barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.
Staff training
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All staff undergo a minimum of five weeks’ full-time training with the course constructed to meet the requirements of the customer Police Authority. Police officers are involved in the training, as appropriate, to provide insight into local procedures.
Custody support staff are trained and led to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984, relevant codes of practices and ACPO guidelines on the safer detention and handling of persons in police. The civilian detention officers are also familiar with procedures to ensure right-first-time searching, fingerprinting and photographing of detained people.
Staff management team
Our police support services management team includes a number of former senior police officers. This team is also experienced in working with police and criminal justice agencies: the courts, probation service, Crown Prosecution Service, Youth Justice Board, Home Office and Immigration National Directorate.
Civilian detention officers duties
GSL offer a range of service options to free up finite police resources and time to enable police officers to be deployed on their core front-line duties:
- Transportation of detained people from point-of-arrest to designated custody facilities and between police forces
- Operation of custody suites, assisting the custody officer in the safe and secure detention and welfare of detained people
- Searching, fingerprinting and photographing detained people
- Delivering the authorities’ requirements for visual identification procedures
- Administrative tasks associated with custody and the criminal justice process
- Statement taking
- Supporting management of bail returnees
- Assisting with the management of speed restriction enforcement cameras
- Operating Phase 2 Livescan procedures
- Other tasks that do not require a police officer
Our vehicles
We have access to a purpose-designed custodial/detainee vehicle fleet. GSL is the only private company in the UK to be partnered by the police to provide transportation from the point of arrest to custody suites.
FM services
GSL manages the following FM services within the custody suite environment:
- Provision of detainee meals
- Maintenance of custody suite
- Cleaning of custody suites
- Disposal of confidential waste
- Laundry services
Specialist services
In addition GSL manages the provision of the following specialist services:
- Medical services
- Interpreter services
Performance management
We measure our activities everywhere against performance standards and are the first company in our field to commit to attaining the Investors in Excellence standard.
Parts of the organisation have already been recognised as Investors in People and we have embarked on a programme to achieve this world-class people-management standard throughout the company by 2007.
Much of our work is project based and we use Prince 2 methodology as well as ISO standards to run the organisation.
Case Study – Cheshire police
GSL was selected to design, build, finance and operate three custody suites under a PFI for Cheshire Police Authority, operating and maintaining the facilities, providing support services, and transporting detained persons to and from the facilities, and between police forces – the first such service for the Police anywhere in the UK.
The new state-of-the-art custody facilities are situated in Blacon, Runcorn and Middlewich. The facilities and support service are significantly improving the prevention and detection of crime and visible reassurance through the releasing of police officers to front-line duties.
A GSL spokesperson said: “We have been working alongside the police providing them with critical support services for many years but this development in Cheshire, to deliver both new buildings together with support employees, is a completely new step. I am pleased GSL has been able to demonstrate partnership, long-term commitment and value for money.”
A Cheshire police spokesperson, added: “This is an exciting step for operational policing in Cheshire bringing modern facilities and providing an excellent partner in GSL.”