Annual Report 2019 Police custody Police The ten Commissions of Oversight for Police Custody monitor accommodation, safety and security, care, treatment and the transportation of detainees under the responsibility of the police. This relates to both cell blocks that provide 24-hour care, including an overnight stay, and locations offering only a day room area. Custody facilities include holding rooms available to local police teams and holding rooms in court buildings, where detainees stay before they appear in court. On the whole, the police custody facilities provided have been assessed as good. The accommodation is up to standard, just as the practical care in providing for food, outdoor exercise/leisure activities and personal care. The custody officers treat arrestees respectfully. Good medical care is provided in terms of promptly calling in a doctor and carrying out any instructions issued by the doctor. However, it was found in 2019 that the storage and issue of medication in compliance with the applicable regulations was an area that continued to require attention 3. The Commissions expect that the desired improvement will be made as soon as the contract for medical care has been awarded to a new party and will continue to monitor this carefully. A recurring area of concern is the currency of and familiarity with evacuation plans and the conduct and evaluation of evacuation exercises 4. The new Police Emergency Response Implementing Regulation came into force on 1 July 2019. The Commissions hope that implementation of the regulation will bring about a structural improvement in this area. They will continue to monitor this in 2020. The Commissions maintain good contact with the police, both at the local and the national level. Locally, findings are promptly reported to senior police custody officers. Issues requiring attention at several locations and in several police units are discussed at the national level by the National Centre for the Commissions of Oversight for Police Custody with the national portfolio holder. Royal Netherlands Marechaussee The Detention Areas Supervisory Commission of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, which is part of the NPM, monitors all detention areas managed and used by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and the care provided by the latter to those have been detained or taken into custody in these facilities. Visits were undertaken to ten locations in 2019, which means that visits will have been conducted to all detention locations within a period of three years 5. 3 In 2019, the Commissions of Oversight requested that attention be paid to this six times. In 2018, they 4 In 2019, the Commissions of Oversight requested attention for this 10 times (as they did in 2018). 5 The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee uses approximately 55 cells and 90 holding rooms at 35 locations in made such a request nine times. total. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee has operations throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It also manages and uses detention areas in the Dutch Caribbean. The Commission’s monitoring of these 8 Table of conte