Complaint regarding response to concern for welfare report - Dorset Police, April 2017

At 11pm on 15 April 2017, a member of the public called Dorset Police to report that he had been unable to contact his friend for some hours, and was concerned for his welfare. The caller said that his friend had recently lost two family members, that he was likely to be suicidal and had obtained drugs.

Officers attended the block of flats where the man lived at 4.08am on 16 April 2017, but left after they were unable to gain access via the communal outer door.

Officers attended the flats again at 9.11am that morning and, on that occasion, were able to gain access to the main building. On looking through the man’s letterbox, they saw him lying on the floor. They forced entry and found him unconscious, but breathing. The man subsequently died in hospital. The cause of death was identified as respiratory depression with hypoxic brain injury, caused by a drugs overdose.

On 1 September 2017, a relative of the man wrote to us to complain about the delay before Dorset Police gained entry to the address.

Our investigators obtained accounts from a number of Dorset Police officers and staff, reviewed police logs and call recordings, and obtained and reviewed relevant policies, procedures and legislation. During the investigation the Lead Investigator was of the opinion there was an indication that three Dorset Police officers may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

At the end of the investigation, we were of the opinion that, while the evidence undoubtedly gave rise to a concern for the man’s welfare, there was at that time no evidence to suggest that he may have come to harm (as opposed to being out, asleep, in a stupor, or simply disinclined to answer his phone).

The two officers who went to the man’s flat provided a detailed rationale in support of their decision not to force entry. It was our view that there was insufficient evidence upon which a reasonable tribunal could find that the officers had sufficient grounds to gain entry.

Based on the evidence available, we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

After reviewing our report, Dorset Police agreed with our findings.