Custody officers, code C and constructing vulnerability: Implications for policy and practice

Abstract

This article addresses one of the issues with Code C to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE)1984-how vulnerability is defined for the purposes of implementing the appropriate adult safeguard. The articledraws upon qualitative data (observation of and semi-structured interviews with custody officers) to assess howcustody officers define vulnerability. It illustrates why custody officers may experience difficulty in identifying vulnerability,drawing upon a problem that I have previously identified. Yet, it goes further than previous discussion byalso offering suggestions for policymakers and practitioners.