3. Police detention »»»»»»» 3. Police detention 4 visits of cells POLICE CELLS REPORT ON SYSTEMATIC VISITS CARRIED OUT BY THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF RIGHTS 2017 for 66 persons in total Report summarising visits in 2015 and 2016 We visited police cells in 14 police departments. The visits did not reveal any intentional ill-treatment, but in some of the facilities there were problems with using the basic safeguards against ill-treatment (delays in ensuring contact with an attorney, impossibility for detained person to write a complaint when staying in the cell), instruction on the rights and duties, and provision of hygiene articles. For problems regarding confidentiality of medical check-ups and records thereon, see Chapter 8.  Summary report on visits to police cells Continued routine strip searches with squats Before placing a person in a police cell, the police officer is obliged to search the person. Such an interference with privacy and dignity of a person is only permissible to the extent necessary and proportionate to the circumstances. Routine requests for complete stripping and performing squats can constitute degrading treatment. However, we have repeatedly encountered this practice and the same has also been criticised by the CPT. In 2015, the Government of the Czech Republic stated within its communication with the CPT that the police officers would be methodically directed not to carry out such searches automatically and as a routine measure, and that possible stripping take place in two steps. Since the situation had not changed in the 20152017 period, we asked the Police President to issue an internal instruction in this respect. This did not occur by the end of 2017, although one of the police sections operating the cells already issued its own instruction. 18 ―― When carrying out a body search prior to placing a person in the cell, police officers must try to minimise the overall embarrassment and humiliation. ―― The Government promised to the CPT methodical direction of the police officers.  Response of the Government to the CPT