The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) today published
its annual report on deaths during or following police contact in
2022/23.
Published for the 19th year, the statistics
provide an official record setting out the number of such deaths,
the circumstances in which they happen, and any underlying
factors. Figures across the different categories can fluctuate
each year, and any conclusions about trends need to be treated
with caution.
The report shows:
- There were 23 deaths in or following police custody, an
increase of 12 from 2021/22, and the highest figure since
2017/18.
- Eight people were taken ill or were identified as being
unwell in a police cell. Five were taken to hospital
where they later died. Three people died in a police custody
suite.
- Twelve people were taken ill at the scene of
arrest. Eight people were taken to
hospital, where they later died. Four people died at the
scene.
- One man was taken ill in a police vehicle, and was taken
to hospital where he died.
- One man died following release from police custody. The
man had been taken to hospital after being charged and
remanded.
- One man died after leaving police detention. His body was
found after going missing from hospital while still in the
care of police and awaiting a mental health assessment.
- There were three fatal police shootings, compared to two the
previous year.
- This year there were 28 fatalities from 26 police-related
road traffic incidents (RTIs). This represents a decrease of
12 deaths on 2021/22. Of the 28 deaths, 20 fatalities arose
from 18 police pursuit-related incidents. There were
two emergency response-related incidents and fatalities, and
six deaths related to other police traffic activity.
- There were 52 apparent suicides following police custody, a
decrease of five on the previous year.
- The IOPC also investigated 90 other deaths following contact
with the police in a wide range of circumstances, a decrease of
21 on 2021/22. Deaths are only included in this category when the
IOPC has conducted an independent investigation.
Mental health concerns and links to drugs or alcohol were again
common factors among many of those who died:
- ·of the 23 people who died in or following police custody, 13
had mental health concerns with four having been detained under
the Mental Health Act, and 21 had links to drugs and/or alcohol,
- almost two-thirds (55) of those who died following other
police contact were reported to be intoxicated with drugs and/or
alcohol at the time of the incident, or it featured heavily in
their lifestyle, and a similar proportion (57) were reported to
have mental health concerns.
Regarding road traffic fatalities:
- ·of the 20 pursuit-related fatalities, 12 were the driver or
passenger in the pursued vehicle and five people were drivers or
passengers of an unrelated vehicle which was hit by the pursued
car. The average age of those who died as either driver or
passenger in a pursued or fleeing vehicle was 28.
- this year, only one pursuit-related incident resulted in
multiple fatalities, and there was a decrease of 14 on the number
of pursuit-related deaths from 2021/22.
Restraint and use of force:
- 11 of the 23 people who died in or following police custody
had some use of force against them by the police before
their deaths. In one of these deaths there was also restraint by
members of the public. Three of the 11 deaths involving use of
force included Taser discharge. There were six out of the 90
other deaths following contact investigated that involved
restraint or other use of force by police. One of the six
involved Taser discharge. The uses of force did not necessarily
contribute to the deaths.
Ethnicity:
- Of the 23 deaths in or following custody, 19 of the deceased
were White, two were Black, one was of Mixed ethnicity and one
was Asian,
- One of the deceased fatally shot by police was Black,
- Of the 11 deaths in or following custody where there was use
of force, eight of the deceased were White, one was Black, one
was of Mixed ethnicity and one was Asian,
- Of the six other contact deaths involving use of force, four
of the deceased were White and two were Black.
In the ‘other deaths’ category:
- 85fatalities followed contact with the police, either
directly or indirectly, after concerns were raised about
someone’s welfare – of these, 20 related to a report of a missing
person; 15 were linked to concerns that were domestic related.
Apparent suicides:
- Of the 52 apparent suicides, 26 (50%) of those who died had
been arrested for an alleged sexual offence – all but two of the
26 involved alleged offences against children.
The report ‘Deaths during of following police contact: Statistics
for England and Wales 2022/23’ is attached. The statistics
include some force-specific data. Additional data tables are
available on the IOPC website.
ENDS
Attachments
