Deaths during police apprehension and in police custodial detention

Australian deaths in custody are reported by the Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Deaths in Custody Program (NDICP). This metric includes deaths occurring in prison, police custody and youth detention. It also includes deaths during police apprehensions where a person is being taken into custody, police officer-involved shootings, and other specific police operations. This paper considers the merit and utility of such an approach. Data from New Zealand’s Independent Police Conduct Authority (who report on New Zealand deaths in police custody) and new research on Australian officer-involved shootings reveals that the omission of incidents involving near misses, attempted suicides, or non-fatal officer-involved shootings limits the ability for a broader insight into police practices and police officer decision-making. The analysis also shows that social interaction theory may provide a useful framework to better understand how harm could be limited during police apprehension and police custodial detention. Recommendations for expanding the NDICP mandate to collect national-level data and further research are made.