Use of Force - meeting minutes -August 2022

Attendees

Phil Dickson Earl (PDE)

Elaine Keen (EK)

Karen James (KJ)

Marcella Smith (MS)

Gwinyai Masaka (GM)

Katie Beaumont (KB)

Hob Hoque (HH)

Steven Beer (SB)

Karanjit Sanghera (KS)

Welcome / Apologies / Introduction

Apologies

Nat Clewley

Francesca Keen

Hayley Miller

Lauren Cox

Peju Akintomide

Tajamal Hussain

Howard McCalla

Kelly Sholagbade

Hina Shafi

Introduction

PDE and EK agreed to stand in as Chair due to Chair and Vice Chair being unavailable.

PDE opened the meeting and asked for the minutes to be shared on screen.

Minutes of last meeting

EK and PDE worked through the minutes and asked for updates on actions.

EK asked if everyone had visited the Force Control Room (FCC) as she had and found it useful. PDE said that he had done it and it was worth doing. KB stated if anyone wishes to complete a further visit to email her directly.

Policing Update

KS stated that SB has been doing some considerable work on the recording of use of force and asked SB to update the Panel.

SB updated the panel and there was a wider discussion surrounding this.

PDE asked the Force to move to the videos.

Video 1

Conducted energy device (known as a Taser). It was drawn and armed, and red dotted.  It was not fired it was aimed. Firearms unit present. Officers would have to complete a UoF form. 

Grounds

Circumstance at 06.20 am report to BP that the informant neighbour reported that subject was banging on door with walking stick. This was due to the informant turning off the suspects power as he was playing loud music at 04.00 am in the morning.

The suspect has then started to accuse the informant of a cut that was caused to his head and hand before going back to his own property. Divisional Officers have arrived at scene at 06.37 am and engaged with the informant, noting criminal damage to the informant’s front door. They have gone to the suspects home address and have spoken to him through the door, and he has threatened to come outside and stab them.

Due to the layout of the property and TASER distance not being ideal, the Officers have been advised not to move forward. A negotiator has arrived on scene, then armed police have been deployed and arrived at 07.39 am. This is where the video being viewed started.

Officer’s reasons for Use of Force:

• Subject was red dotted due to previous threats to stab Officers, unknown location of weapons
• Subject was compliant and detained without incident by local Officer and arrested for criminal damage.

A discussion took place between the panel members.

Grading: Green one

Video 2

Grounds

The subject is from Bedford.  UoF – ‘Other’ in this case means ‘Shield’. The incident took place on 31 May 2022 and the circumstances are at 12.14 pm it has been reported to BP that a female living a multi occupancy care home had locked herself in her room and started a fire.

Fire crews have attended but not been able to gain access and have called the police. On Police attendance the Officers have tried to speak to the subject, through the door however the subject has refused entry, been verbally abusive and has thrown things at her bedroom door, causing damage.

Divisional Officer has arrived at scene at 12.34 pm, which is where the video starts. Conditional Officers have arrived (which includes a taser Officer), Ambulance has also attended, and they spoke to the subject after the force was used.

Officers documented that they used the shield as a response to the subject throwing plates at the door and being verbally aggressive – used shield to enter the room and protect themselves in case she continued to throw items.

A discussion took place between the panel members.

Grading: Green Three

Video 3

Grounds

At 21.48 pm reported to Police that a male has punched a female at a pub in Biggleswade. Officers have been dispatched and contacted the victim and the victim’s family to take statements.

As CCTV perform checks to locate the suspect. It has been discovered that the suspect is staying at a nearby hotel, and Officer have completed checks to locate him. Officers have located the male on the street at 00.27 pm, which is where the video starts. Baton drawn, baton used, limb/body restrains, unarm skills and other improvised movements. Leg Restraints.

A discussion took place between the panel members.

Grading: Green One

Video 4

Grounds

Male was wanted due to outstanding offences of assault, breach of curfew. There was an interaction between the Officer and suspect earlier on the day when the suspect assaulted the Officer by elbowing her in the face and cut her hand with something sharp in his jacket pocket.

At approx. 22.16 pm the suspect was seen by this Officer again and he ran in to a fish and chip shop and entered the kitchen. The footage starts at 22.17 pm and the use of force is applied immediately.

The force used was taser.

Reasons why taser was used

The subject ran into a shop in a working kitchen environment. The Officer was mindful of the situation. The Officer was a female on her own and felt it necessary to use Taser.

Kitchen knives were around, and the subject was trying to escape. The Officer had been assaulted earlier in the day.

Grading: Green Three

Quarterly Review

HH stated he will send out headline data issue sent out to you from KS.  You can ask on the next occasion or do you want a 15-minute whistlestop tour or digest it. 

We need to use UOF correctly so thank you for your support.

EK stated she would prefer the highlights please.

HH – Loaded up on screen.

Q1 22-23 Exec Summary

1708 UOF recorded in Q1 22-23 compared to 1777 the previous quarter.

Use of Force – Ethnicity

The total number of UOF is broadly the same as last quarter, the number with each ethnic group has changed. 

The ratio has changed – if you were a person from the Black Community, this time last year you were 5.44 times more likely to have forced used against you. 

This year, slightly better, 4.40 times more likely to have forced used against you. 

Slight decrease in the Asian Community, 1.32 compared to 1.69 last year. Mixed / Other 0.16 compared to 2.23.

Subjects’ Gender & Ethnicity

A reduction of 64.3% reduction in the number of UOF on females of Asian ethnicity recorded this quarter compared to previous (Q4 – 28, Q1 – 10).  24% increase in UoF on Females of Black ethnicity compared to the previous quarter (46 vs 57). 

There has been a small increase in the number UoF on males of White ethnicity this quarter compared to previous.  21% decrease in UoF on males of Black ethnicity and 12.9% decrease in males of Asian ethnicity. 

Unknown ethnicity is not acceptable.

Subject’ Ethnicity & Age

Onscreen graph.  Varies on ages and groups where UoF has been used.

Time / Date / Locations 

Breakdown by month – Apr = 526, May = 603, June = 579.  Full moon out on 19 June, 34 UoF.  Mental health is topical (23 incidents).

Reason & Impacting Factors 

Multiple reasons for UoF listed.  Majority listed are to Effect an Arrest, Protect Self and / or Prevent Escape as the reason for UoF.  This is a change from the previous quarter.  Alcohol continues to be one of the dominating impacting factors.  Others include Drugs, Size / Build and Mental Health.

Types of Force

• Tactic 1 – Compliant handcuffing -= 38.4%
• Non-compliant handcuffing = 18.3%
• Tactic 2 – Non-compliant handcuffing = 22.4%
• Unarmed Skills = 20.5%
• Tactic 3 – Unarmed skills = 28.5%
• Other / improvised = 19.7%
• Tactic 4 – Unarmed skills = 31.7%
• Other / improvised = 26.8%
• Tactic 5 – Unarmed skills = 37.5%
• Other / improvised = 37.5%

Batons were drawn on 10 occasions and used on 5 occasions.

102 UoF involved deployment of Taser (a decrease on last quarter) – 4 resulted in firing and 2 involved more than 1 cartridge (fired).

Outcomes

• Hospitalised 34 – 1.94%
• Arrested 1046 – 59.60%
• Detained (MH Act) 126 – 7.18%
• Other 187 – 10.66%
• No further action 362 – 20.63%
• Slight improvements for Beds Police

PDE – Excellent

Officer / Subject Injured

Officer injured:

• 63 Officers were injured in UoF, 5 Officers were injured on 2 separate occasions, 3 Officers on 3 occasions. 1 Officer was deemed severely injured.

Subject injured:

• 69 subjects are listed as having received injuries because of UoF.

Officer Data/ Data Quality

• 29 Officers were responsible for 23.6% (403) of UoF (they each had 10 or more UoF records). Of the 403, 91 were arrested but none were detained for mental health reasons.
• 31 Officers did not record the subject’s perceived ethnicity (marked as ‘Unknown’) in 31 UoF.
• There are 111 records marked as MZ. These appear to be where no subject information has been recorded.  This is being investigated to ascertain whether it is a system issue or a recording issue.

HH explained that SB is working tirelessly to get the technology right.

Officer Data – Subject Ethnicity 

Graph shown. 

HH -Deep dive on numbers 0545, 0720 where more work needs to be done and 5041.

EK - I would like to look at 5041.

HH – Went on to thank the Panel for the valuable time and appreciated their support and opinion.

PDE – My biggest desire, to get words not stats from you, why the Black Community is 4 times higher with force used against them.

HH – Great to do something together.  If we get it wrong, we do apologise for it.  We will not become complacent.  We are improving.

KS – Looking for a new vice chair.

End of meeting

Any Community Issues

Nothing to add.

AOB

None.

Closing Remarks

None.