Medical Attention for People in Custody

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Medical Attention for People in Custody

 

Gordon Graham
Category: Law Enforcement, Corrections

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s tip is for law enforcement and custody personnel. It deals with medical care for people in our custody.  

Whether to call for medical assistance might seem like a tough decision. If you make the wrong one, there could be serious consequences.

You have probably had an arrestee suddenly claim to have chest pain or difficulty breathingYou might have thought they were faking it to avoid going to jail.  

Whether to call for medical assistance might seem like a tough decision. After all, you don’t want to waste your time. You don’t want to waste the time of the fire department, ambulance, or hospital staff either. But it really shouldn’t be a tough decision for you.  

Just because a person suddenly reports chest pain or breathing problems doesn’t mean they are faking. The person may be suffering a real emergency that needs immediate attention 

You should summon appropriate medical personnel. Have a paramedic or EMT evaluate the arresteeRely on their professional opinion to determine the best course of action.   

Maybe the paramedics don’t have the authority to take the arrestee to the hospital without your permission. But you should never stand in the way – even if you think they are faking.   

This is a very important decision. If you make the wrong one, the arrestee could be in danger and there could be serious consequences for you and your agency.   

And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. 

Gordon Graham, signing off. 

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