Response to calls regarding a man self-harming - West Yorkshire Police, November 2017

On 14 November 2017 the manager of a supermarket in the Bradford area telephoned West Yorkshire Police (WYP) in relation to a detained shoplifter, who had locked himself in a security office and was believed to be self-harming. Further calls were made before officers were dispatched to attend. Supermarket staff later found the man unconscious and he was taken to hospital by ambulance.

There was a delay in police officers attending the incident, due to there being no resources free to attend.

During the investigation, investigators interviewed WYP control room staff, examined the incident log and obtained recordings of the calls made in relation to the incident. Investigators also obtained statements from call handlers and the police officers and paramedic who attended the scene.

Our investigation found that WYP did not upgrade the incident to an emergency following additional information provided by the supermarket manager. This was not in line with the force’s policy. However, the evidence indicates that the incident was treated as an emergency, despite not being recorded as such.

The investigation found no case to answer for misconduct or performance issues, but highlighted a number of learning issues for the force to consider. These included ensuring control room staff and supervisors fully understand their responsibilities and adhere to the force’s policy used to manage police resources.

After reviewing our report, WYP confirmed that it was taking steps to ensure force control room staff are working to the required standard and correctly identifying key issues and considerations for specific incidents. The force will also reiterate the roles and responsibilities of staff and supervisors when requesting and authorising the re-grading of incidents.