Custody

This is the Criminal Justice Centre custody suite, welcome.

When someone is arrested in Northamptonshire, their first stop is one of our two police custody suites. The suites are staffed by a team of Custody Sergeants and police staff Custody Detention Officers who work together to deliver the forces’ custody provision.

Custody Detention Officers are a vital part of the custody team. They support the Custody Sergeant, ensuring the safe, secure and legal detention of anyone brought into custody, and play a key role in caring for the welfare of those detained.

My name is Summer Parker. I’ve been a Custody Detention Officer since I was 19 years of age. Custody is where we look after detainees. Their care and welfare is the main priority. I’ll take their fingerprints, photograph, and a DNA sample. I’ll be taking their height, weight, eye colours, the description, and then I’ll pop the detainee into the cell.

Custody Detention Officers have designated powers that enable them to carry out essential duties, including conducting physical searches, taking fingerprints and photographs, and when required, collect DNA samples. But their job goes beyond admin. Each detainees’ care is assigned to a Detention Officer who’s responsible for monitoring their wellbeing throughout their stay.

My name is Phil, Phil Roberts. I’ve been a Custody Detention Officer for 12 years. Our main role is to support the custody officer. When they book people into custody, we try to look after the people who are in custody to the best of our ability, to keep them safe, keep them fed and watered, make sure their aware of their rights. We have to take their biometrics, obviously feed them, look after them, keep them clean, if need be, just basically keep them safe while they’re here.

Our Custody Detention Officers carry out regular cell checks, provide meals and drinks, and make sure every person in custody is treated with dignity and respect. They help maintain the safety of the entire custody unit, ensuring it’s secure and fully operational at all times.

A key part of the role is communication. A Detention Officer needs patience and strong interpersonal skills to build rapport, manage expectations, and support individuals who may be distressed, confused, or upset. Our Detention Officers excel at deescalating conflict and managing situations where tensions can be high.

You need to be a good listener, probably a good talker, but be empathetic and have good listening skills, and good interpersonal skills as well.

My team is so encouraging, so supportive. You know, you have to come together to get through long 12-hour shifts if I’m honest. They can be tough. Sometimes, being thrown in the deep end, you need to swim.

It’s a challenging but very rewarding role, providing vital support to our Custody Sergeants and wider team, and ensuring every detainee is safe, secure, and properly cared for from the time they arrive until the time they leave.