SUICIDES AND OTHER DEATHS IN POLICE CUSTODY

This article presents data from a study on 59 deaths in Dutch police s tations in the period 1983-1993. Twenty deaths were caused by suicide, 19 by intoxications, 8 by natural causes, and 12 by other or unknown causes. The mortality rate, suicide rate, and poisoning rate in police stations were higher than in penitentiary institutions and in the gen eral population. The morality rate was lower in large police stations than in small police stations. Identification of deviant detainees see med less problematic than handling these deviant detainees. It is argu ed that exceptional detainees without serious charges should be transf erred to Health Care services. Other structural preventive measures ar e also discussed.