23 October 2020
The annual report on deaths during or following police contact has been published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
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"This report presents figures on deaths during or following police contact that happened between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020. It provides a definitive set of figures for England and Wales, and an overview of the nature and circumstances in which these deaths occurred.
This publication is the sixteenth in a series of statistical reports on this subject, published annually by the IOPC, formerly the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)."
The report covers:
See: Deaths during or following police contact: Statistics for England and Wales 2019/20 (pdf)
Data tables and other material is available on the IOPC site (link).
Commenting on the release of the data, Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST, said:
"Three years ago this month, Dame Elish Angiolini’s independent review of deaths in police custody was published. The review was the first and only of its kind, and made urgent recommendations which had the potential to save lives. Yet the number of deaths in custody remain at the same level as ten years ago. Black men are still disproportionately affected. The link between deaths and mental ill health, intoxication and restraint continue to raise concerns.
It is clear that not enough is being done. At a time of increased visibility of the role of police in our communities, we must see more action to protect lives. We repeat our point that ultimately to prevent further deaths and harm, we must look beyond policing and redirect resources into community, health, welfare and specialist services."
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