Recommendation - Metropolitan Police Service, March 2024
We identified organisational learning from a review of a local police investigation.
IOPC reference
Recommendations
The IOPC recommends that the Metropolitan Police should update local guidance to reflect that if a detainee is required to be in custody, and is breastfeeding, custody staff should organise a Health Care Professional to see the detainee as soon as possible. This is so that the needs of the detainee can be assessed to avoid any health implications or discomfort that may arise from not being able to breastfeed whilst in custody. There should be advice given to officers reflecting this guidance once updated.
This follows an IOPC investigation review where a woman who stated she was breastfeeding her young child was detained in custody for a number of hours. It was deemed necessary for her to be detained due to the risk she posed to a number of members of the public. She informed the custody staff of her need to breastfeed, but no provisions were made for her to express milk. As a result, she stated she was left in pain from not being able to express milk and that this added to her overall distress of being in custody. The current force guidance only references considerations with expressing milk for the baby.
Awaiting response