A Custody Assistant is a non-warranted officer of a United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 force who assists police officers and custody officer

Custody officer

A Custody Officer is an attested constable of at least the rank of Sergeant in the United Kingdom who works in a custody suite. They are responsible for the care and welfare of arrested persons who are brought to the custody suite.-Responsibilities:...

s in processing people who have been arrest

Arrest

An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...

ed and detained in a police custody suite

Custody suite

A custody suite is a designated area within a police station designed and adapted to process and detain those who have been arrested, or who are there for purposes such as answering bail....

. The custody assistant also has responsibilities relating to the care and welfare

Quality of life

The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...

 of the detained person.

Role

The duties of a custody assistant (or known as a Detention Officer) commonly include:

• Searching, or assisting in searching arrested persons,
• Performing regular scheduled checks on detained persons in cells
  Prison cell
  A prison cell or holding cell or lock-up is a small room in a prison, or police station where a prisoner is held.Prison cells are usually about 6 by 8 feet in size with steel or brick walls and one solid or barred door that locks from the outside. Many modern prison cells are pre-cast. Solid doors...
  
  ,
• Taking photograph
  Photograph
  A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
  
  s, DNA
  DNA
  Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
  
   samples and fingerprint
  Fingerprint
  A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
  
  s of the detained person,
• Assisting custody officer
  Custody officer
  A Custody Officer is an attested constable of at least the rank of Sergeant in the United Kingdom who works in a custody suite. They are responsible for the care and welfare of arrested persons who are brought to the custody suite.-Responsibilities:...
  
  s with general admin and the running of the suite
  Custody suite
  A custody suite is a designated area within a police station designed and adapted to process and detain those who have been arrested, or who are there for purposes such as answering bail....
  
  ,
• Providing meals to those detained.

Powers

In England & Wales, the chief police officer

Chief police officer

Chief police officer is a phrase used in the United Kingdom to describe the position held by the most senior police officer in a police force. It refers to either one of the 53 Chief Constables, the Commissioner of the City of London Police or the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Such...

 of a territorial police force

Territorial police force

The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...

 may designate any person who is employed by the police authority

Police authority

A police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...

 maintaining that force, and is under the direction and control of that chief police officer, as a detention officer.
They have a range of powers given by the Police Reform Act 2002

Police Reform Act 2002

The Police Reform Act 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.Amongst the provisions of the Act are the creation of the role of Police Community Support Officer, who have some police powers whilst not being 'sworn in' constables, and the ability for Chief Constables to confer a more...

, and their chief police officer decides which of these powers they may use.

In Scotland, Police Custody and Security Officer

Police Custody and Security Officer

A Police Custody and Security Officer is a uniformed non-warranted officer of a Scottish police force. Pay ranges from £15,912– £19,002 per year.-Powers:They have powers to:...

s have powers similar to those of detention officers and escort officers in England and Wales. Similar powers are available in Northern Ireland.