'Police stations are not prisons'

20 August 2024

National Board member and Custody Lead, Phil Jones, addresses implications of Operation Early Dawn on police officers. 

On Monday 19 August 2024, the Ministry of Justice & HM Prison and Probation Service reactivated a temporary measure to manage pressures in prisons in the north of England following longstanding capacity failures and recent incidents of violent public disorder.

However, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) is concerned that the contingency mechanism, Operation Early Dawn, would further aggravate the tremendous pressure on working conditions of police officers.

PFEW Custody Lead, Phil Jones, said: “Custody officers have tremendous responsibilities placed upon them in their pivotal role in the judicial process and in dealing with and caring for some of the most challenging people in society.

“Our dedicated members will do their utmost best to support the wider criminal justice during this time of crisis, but this added layer of responsibility should not be underestimated.

“Police stations are not prisons. They are not suitable to be used as such for any length of time and, although police officers working in custody are highly skilled, and trained, prison officers are specifically trained to manage the welfare and needs of prisoners.

“We are also concerned the additional pressure placed on our colleagues, cancelled leave and rest days, will push many closer to breaking point. PFEW will continue to support its members at this challenging time, but it is vital forces do everything in their power to protect the welfare of their workforce.

“PFEW is closely engaging strategically with policing partners to highlight and identify risks to our members associated with scenarios of unlawful detention in custody (commonly known as Section 46).  We have been reassured through the National Police Chiefs’ Council that all forces have robust policies and procedures in place to significantly reduce instances whereby someone maybe held in custody unlawfully. 

“PFEW reinforces that our members should act within the law. Operation Early Dawn has and will create challenges within the service, but these are not solely down to demand vs capacity, this is due to the government’s continued failure to invest in the criminal justice system as a whole.

“Our dedicated members are working tirelessly to support communities, bring offenders to justice and will do their bit to support the criminal justice system. PFEW shall continue to monitor the impact of Operation Early Dawn on our members and where appropriate challenge/hold partners to account in the interest of our members.”