London police contact deaths fall
The number of deaths associated with police contact in London has fallen for the third consecutive year.
In 2004/05 there were 13 deaths associated with contact with the Metropolitan Police, down from 15 and 17 in the preceding years.
Police forces are required to measure all deaths of those in contact with it, ranging from those killed in a shooting incident to those picked up and taken to hospital.
Cindy Butts, deputy chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said that the figures were good news.
Ms Butts, said: “Any death following police contact is tragic whatever the circumstances. To help minimise future risks the MPS has put in place several new strategies to both learn from past incidents and to ensure that the custody process is made more professional.”
She added: “We fully support the MPS commitment to reducing and preventing these tragedies happening in the future.”
