The Role of the Forensic Medical Examiner with “Drunken Detainees” in Police Custody prs146

A feasibility study was conducted to explore the role of the Forensic Medical Examiner (FME) in relation to intoxicated arrestees, and to examine the potential for the delivery of enhanced and targeted health interventions to alcohol-related detainees in custody. The study was an explorative qualitative investigation examining possible expansions of the FME role to include the management and treatment of drunken offenders. The study includes interviews with principal FME’s, FME’s and police officers from across the UK to assess their knowledge and attitudes towards the use of brief interventions with offenders with alcohol problems in the custody setting.

FME’s reported two main roles – a therapeutic one and a forensic one. However, the dominant theme that emerged in relation to both detainees and custody staff was safety. FME’s expressed concern about whether they were the appropriate people to deliver brief intervention and whether the police station was the correct location. The study concluded that there were disparities in knowledge amongst principal FME’s, FME’s and police officers about brief interventions and their potential effectiveness. A number of barriers were highlighted such as restrictions on time and resources and the perception that ‘treatment’ was not part of the FME’s role.

The report recommends more national data be collected to assess the level of the problem and alternative methods of managing drunken detainees and an evaluation of whether FME-delivered brief interventions can be effective and if so, under what circumstances and for what offender populations.