Police interviews in Scotland – use of appropriate adults

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the development of Appropriate Adult services in Scotland over the past nine years and considers how this differs from the rest of the UK. Design/methodology/approach – New analysis of existing statistical information is provided to show pattern of demand, type of interview, nature of mental disorder involved and regional differences. Findings – Growth in demand for services is identified for both suspect and witness interviews, with people with learning disabilities most frequently receiving support. There is significant variation in the pattern of referrals across Scotland. Practical implications – The results reflect heightened awareness amongst police officers of the need for Appropriate Adults, but there should be examination of the different types of provision to promote equity of service. Originality/value – This is the first time that these figures have been collated and subject to analysis. They provide comparative information within Scotland that is also of relevance to the rest of the UK.

The use of appropriate adults for persons with mental disabilities in investigation interviews in Singapore

“…The findings of this study indicated a clear upward trend in the use of AAs in investigation interviews with PMDs for both suspect/accused and victim/witness and were reflective of the increasing demand on AA services for PMDs. Such an increase in the demand for AA services is consistent with the findings of Bowden and Wilson's (2015) study examining the use of AAs in police interviews in Scotland, which similarly revealed an overall increase of the service usage across both suspect/accused and victim/witness interviews.…”

“…A recent study by Bowden and Wilson (2015) investigated the patterns of demand for AAs in Scotland and presented data on the use of AAs based on geographical regions, types of mental disability and subject profile (i.e. by suspect, victim or witness).…”

Striking the Right Balance: Police Experience, Perceptions and Use of Independent Support Persons During Interviews Involving People with Intellectual Disability

“…To date, few studies have investigated how the police perceive support people who fulfil this function in police interviews. With recent research suggesting increases in the frequency of use of independent support persons (Bowden & Wilson, 2015), it is becoming increasingly pertinent to explore how useful the police find them and if police have preferences in terms of the support person being a family member or a volunteer. Moreover, there are no published studies known to the authors that have…”