Police custody and security officer

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A Criminal Justice Police Custody and security officer, formerly known as a “turnkey”or “PCSO”, is a uniformed non-warranted of officer of a Scottish police force. Paid by and employed by the Scotish Police Authority.

at Grade 4 the Pay starts from £28,445 and additional extras are added for shift work and weekend working including disruption pay resulting in a gross pay of £32,000 on average exclusive of overtime and expenses which are paid separately.

They have powers under section 29 to:[1]

  • transfer people in custody from any court, prison, police station or mental hospital to another
  • have custody of persons held in legal custody on court premises (whether or not such persons would otherwise be in the custody of the court) and to produce them before the court
  • Take detained people to hospital for medical treatment if necessary.
  • have custody of persons temporarily held in legal custody in relevant premises (any court, prison, police station or hospital) while in the course of transfer from one set of such premises to another
  • apprehend people who have escaped from any court, prison, police station or hospital or whilst being transferred between those places
  • remove from relevant premises any person—
    • who they have reasonable grounds to believe has committed or is committing an offence, or
    • who is causing a disturbance or nuisance
  • search any person who is in custody or is unlawfully at large, anywhere
  • in relevant premises, or in any other place in which a person in his custody who is being transferred from one set of relevant premises to another is present, to search (any or all)—
    • property;
    • any person who he has reasonable grounds to believe has committed or is committing an offence;
    • any person who is seeking access to a person in the officer’s custody or to relevant premises;
  • in relevant premises, or in any other place in which a person in legal custody is or may be, to require any person who he has reasonable grounds for suspecting has committed or is committing an offence to give his name and address and either—
    • to remain there with the officer until the arrival of a constable; or
    • where reasonable in all the circumstances, to go with the officer to the nearest police station, but only if before imposing any such requirement on a person the officer informs him of the nature of the suspected offence and of the reason for the requirement
  • at a constable’s or courts direction take finger prints, photograph and DNA from, any person held in custody applicable with the law.
  • to use reasonable force (which may include the use of handcuffs and other means of restraint) where necessary in exercising the above powers

Additional duties[edit]

To undertake the statutory functions and duties of a Criminal Justice Police Custody and Security Officer, providing for the care, welfare, security and escort of persons in custody in accordance with standard operating procedures and relevant legislation.

To be responsible for the processing, procedures and security of all productions retained for possible use at court and to provide a custodier service in relation to lost, found and stolen property.

To support the administration of various criminal justice processes including the processing and maintenance of warrants and other legal documents; review and transmission of standard prosecution reports and other associated documents; and creation, maintenance and quality assurance of criminal justice records.

Listed below are some of the roles and responsibilities of a CJPCSO

     1. Receive all persons into custody, including those transferred from any other custody centre or agency, complete custody reception and release/transfer processes ensuring all custody records and documentation is accurate and   that the Custody Supervisor / Criminal Justice Police Custody and Security Officer Team Leader (CJPCSOTL) is informed of all risks identified.

2. Monitor and visit persons in custody, bringing any immediate concerns regarding the persons condition or demeanour to the attention of the Custody Supervisor / Police Custody and Security Officer (Criminal Justice Team Leader).

3. Search persons in custody and accurately record details of property in their possession ensuring that it is securely stored, returned or transferred to another agency as required. Notify the Custody Supervisor / Police Custody and Security Officer (Criminal Justice Team Leader) of any items of property believed to be of evidential value.

4. Administer First Aid when and required maintain a first aid at work certification, facilitate Health Care Professional (HCP) examinations for persons in custody, and administer and supervise the taking of medication as directed by a HCP.

5. Facilitate visits to persons in custody, supervise custody movements and escort individuals within the custody area.

6. Assist or complete custody escort duties out with the custody centre as required for example transport to court or to hospital. Make necessary arrangements with escort service providers and other agencies to ensure persons in custody are transported appropriately to court or other specified places.

7. Take fingerprints, photographs, DNA samples and VIPER images from persons within the custody area.

8. Inspect the fabrication of cells and environments in the custody area and custody equipment and report any defects. Ensure the cleanliness and hygiene of cells by instructing cleaning staff to certain areas of kneed, keeping the custody area and custody equipment to a high standard and, subject to the availability of cleaners and/or requirement for specialist cleaning, clean spillages and small deposits of bodily fluids.

9. Input and maintain accurate and timely records on custody systems including visits to persons in custody, custody movements, medical medication and meal provision, management of property, criminal justice disposals and risk management information.

10. When required, use reasonable force to control and restrain persons in police custody and on escort in accordance with Officer Safety Training.

11. Prepare and serve all food and drinks for persons in custody ensuring that all relevant food hygiene regulations are complied with and records maintained.

12. Ensure that all productions, lost, found and stolen property, including drugs, firearms, cash, high value and hazardous items, are sealed, labelled,

recorded, securely stored, maintained and disposed of in accordance with standard operating procedures and statutory requirements.

13. Uplift, transport and lodge productions, lost, found and stolen property to/from relevant locations including production stores, Police Service of Scotland (PSoS) divisions/departments and criminal justice agencies.

14. As and when required, process warrants and other legal documents received from criminal justice and other relevant agencies; and create, maintain and update criminal justice records systems in relation to their management and disposal. Collate, administer and lodge cash received in payment of warrants with relevant authorities.

15. Quality assure and amend standard prosecution reports, statements and other associated documents used within the criminal justice reporting process as directed by criminal justice supervisors. Administer the transmission and reception of documents and reports to/from criminal justice and other relevant agencies.

16. Timeously create, interrogate, update and maintain criminal justice records and other relevant systems to support the delivery of custody and criminal justice services in accordance with standard operating procedures, PSoS information sharing protocols and relevant legislation.

17. Liaise with, prepare and submit reports to PSoS divisions/departments, criminal justice and other relevant agencies regarding the management, investigation and disposal of warrants and other legal documents; criminal justice reporting processes; and creation, maintenance and quality assurance of criminal justice records.

18. Ensure adequate stocks of equipment and supplies used within the custody centre and in support of relevant criminal justice processes are maintained and submit orders for replenishment as required.

19. Will be responsible for assessing and self-managing risk within all aspects of the role.

The above accountabilities and responsibilities are not exhaustive, and the jobholder may be required to undertake additional duties that are consistent with the level and grading of the rol

They also have duties to:[1]

  • attend to the care and welfare of persons in their custody as per the Care and welfare SOP
  • Prevent the escape of such persons from their custody and maintain the security of the environment.
  • prevent, or detect and report on, the commission or attempted commission by such persons of other unlawful acts
  • act with a view to preserving good order in the premises of any court and in land connected with such premises
  • ensure good order and discipline on the part of such persons (whether or not in the premises of any court or in land connected with such premises)
    • in fulfilment of this duty, apprehend any person and to detain that person in custody in the premises of the court in question;
  • give effect to any order of a court.

It is an offence to assault or impersonate an officer or a CJPCSO[1]

References[edit]