The Police Authority operates an Independent Custody Visiting Scheme for the North Yorkshire Police Area.
Independent custody visitors are members of the local community who are appointed by the Police Authority to visit police stations unannounced to check on the welfare of people in police custody and to report back to the Authority on what they find.
They come from a variety of backgrounds and sections of the community. They must be over 18 and have no direct involvement in the criminal justice system, for example, serving police officers or special constables. Other people such as solicitors or probation officers may be excluded, to prevent possible conflict of interests for the individual. This maintains the independence of the scheme as a whole.
We are always looking for people to carry out this valuable voluntary service. If you are interested in helping the Police Authority in this area, either
Custody Visitor application documents