Custody

Gwent Police currently has two designated custody suites, open 24 hours a day. They are located at Ystrad Mynach in the North West of the Force area and Newport Central in the South, in the heart of the city. A third, smaller, custody facility is available at Maindee Police station which has only 12 cells and is only used if capacity at Newport or Ystrad Mynach is reached or if it is necessary to close one of the other units for maintenance or emergency situations.

Ystrad Mynach Custody Suite is the largest in the Force having 31 cells and is a purpose built facility, as a Public Funding Initiative build. Newport Central Custody Suite is the second largest with 28 cells.

All custody suites are centrally managed and supervised by a management team based in Newport Police station, who ensure that Codes C, D, E, F, G and H of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 are adhered to and that the recommendations of the Home Office Guidance on the Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Custody 2006 are observed.

We have published full arrest data for 2009/10 and 2010/11

Key Facts:

• In 2010, Gwent Police custody suites had a throughput of around 19,000 detainees, with Newport taking around 60% of all those persons arrested
• The average age of those detained was 27 years, with the most common age being 19
• Males account for the highest proportion of detainees at 85% of the total

Useful Documents:

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police/operational-policing/safer-detention-guidance www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/powers/pace-codes/