Clause 23 - Police powers for designated police support staff
Police (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]
4:45 pm
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne, Conservative)
The clause brings us to the Chief Constable's ability to designate civilians to carry out certain jobs. I examined carefully the three sorts of jobs—investigating officer, detention officer and escort officer. In Great Britain, detention and escort officers are often civilians contracting to escort prisoners to and from remand centres, courts and so forth. Whenever I have visited local cells—I hasten to add in my capacity as a Member, not as a customer—I have always noticed civilians acting as detention officers. It is all perfectly sensible. I am less persuaded, however, that investigating officers should fall under the same category.