2020 - 30 June 2024
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#KeepPrisonsSingleSex #RepealTheGRA #ManifestoForPolicing #RestoreSafeguarding
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Jun 30 • 9 tweets • 5 min read
This is our final thread setting out the work we have done. We have saved Scotland until last. This is a hard thread to write. Whilst the situation is hard everywhere in the UK, it is particularly so in Scotland, where children, women & vulnerable adults are under threat from a government seemingly hellbent on destroying the very possibility of safeguarding, as well as placing restrictions on freedom of speech that are only fitting for a totalitarian regime. And what of this government? The institution that is Holyrood appears rotten to its core. It is so steeped in cronyism & nepotism, that, from what I have seen, the principles of parliamentary democracy no longer exist within those walls. This is shameful & terrifying.
Whilst the bravery & determination of overwhelmingly women, but men too, is a beacon of light & inspiration, this remains a dark & frightening time.
Our relationship with women & organisations in Scotland has always been very special and has resulted in much joint working (including been behind the scenes). As we made clear in our Exit Statement earlier in June, Kate will be continuing to support women in prison, former offenders & whistleblowers: many of these are in Scotland and she will continue to work with our colleagues where needed.
The following posts outline the work we have done in Scotlaand:
In December 2022 we published a supplementary document: How Police Scotland Record Suspects' Sex in Crime & Incident Reporting:
In this penultimate thread we will be setting out our work & achievements for prisons in England & Wales. Our final thread will be on Scotland.
We will also use this thread to set out some of the gatekeeping. exclusion, interference in our work, abuse, gaslighting & bullying Kate/KPSS has been subjected to. This has come from groups & individuals across the GC “movement”. We won’t name names so please don’t ask us to. This may help some of you to understand why we have decided to close KPSS.
KPSS was set up in July 2020 by Kate with what was a small Twitter account. By 2021 our work was having an impact: this included well-attended briefings for Parliamentarians and professionals working in the CJS, regular written and oral parliamentary questions that enabled us to find out information that we could not access otherwise, successful media engagement.
One of the most important pieces of work we did was the two lots of “prisons amendments” to the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill brought in the House of Lords. You can read about that here:
Another area of our work on policing focuses on the policies for searching detainees, specifically those that allow for opposite sex searching where an officer identifies as transgender. The now infamous NPCC guidance dated December 2021 which mandated opposite sex searching in these circumstances can be read here:
kpssinfo.org/ccc-searching-…
This guidance was rolled out across forces nationally and, in the main, was adopted without question. A few took a more cautious approach and in 2022 we were invited to give oral and written evidence to one police force. You can read our written submission here:
In 2023 the NPCC @PoliceChiefs produced a Protected Characteristics Operational Recording Data Standard. This is intended to guide forces in their data collection practices, including for crime & incident reporting.
We found it, somewhat lacking & misleading, to put it mildly. In December 2023 we published our own PC Operational Recording Data Standard for Policing. You can read it here:
kpssinfo.org/protected-char…
For some protected characteristics, our guidance is identical, or very similar to that produced by the NPCC. However, in respect of other protected characteristics, our guidance differs considerably. Where we take a different approach, it is because we have sought to ensure that the question asked directly is informed by the relevance of data to offending and the requirements of policing and/or relates to the definition of the protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. Any deviation from the question formulated by the NPCC will reflect that.
Our guidance embodies the following core principles:
Jun 13 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
An important part of our work on policing has been holding forces to account regarding data collection.
In 2022, we published our first report on how police forces in England & Wales record suspects' sex in crime & incident reporting.
You can read that report here: kpssinfo.org/kpss-police-re…
We produced a Supplementary Document on Police Scotland which you can read here:
Data Collection:
PSNI can advise anyone brought into police custody will be recorded as they seek to represent themselves, either Male, Female, Transgendered, or Unknown. If Transgender, an additional pop-up box will appear to record the details of the person’s previous name and gender and their current name and gender. Police have no power to request medical records or birth certificates. Police record what the detainee wishes (subject to some basic challenges if the subject is trying to frustrate the process). Police will respect how any detainee declares their identity. If the gender of the offender is relevant to the case, expert testimony may be sought. Police are not qualified to challenge assumed gender identity. This is the same process for anyone charged with rape or sexual assault.
Jun 11 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
Now for Police Scotland. @PoliceScotland
How did they answer our FOIAs?
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data Collection:
Police Scotland replied: There is no overarching Police Scotland policy/ guidance document etc, that covers the scenarios raised in your request… I can however advise you that the sex/ gender identification of individuals who come into contact with the police will be based on how they present or how they self-declare, which is consistent with the values of the organisation. Police Scotland requires no evidence or certification as proof of biological sex or gender identity other than a person’s self-declaration, unless it is pertinent to any investigation with which they are linked as a victim, witness or accused and it is evidentially critical that we legally require this proof, or there is reason for further enquiry based on risk… Police Scotland still uses a number of legacy IT systems and we are therefore limited in our ability to record gender as anything other than the binary option of male or female. We recognise that a person may not feel it appropriate for them to be assigned binary options and the situation will be reviewed as we roll out any new IT platforms
Jun 11 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Final one from Wales as we look at what South Wales Police said @swpolice
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data Collection:
South Wales Police did not respond, however the response provided by Dyfed-Powys Police suggests that all Welsh regional police forces will record self-declared gender or gender identity in lieu of sex registered at birth.
Data Collection:
The responses provided by North Wales Police were extremely unclear and, in respect of most questions, it was not possible to ascertain their data recording practices. It appears that they will not record a suspect as being non-binary. The response provided by Dyfed-Powys Police suggests that all Welsh regional police forces will record self-declared gender/gender identity in lieu of sex registered at birth.
Data Collection:
Wiltshire Police replied that a male rape suspect who identifies as transgender but who does not have a gender recognition certificate, would be recorded as male. A suspect with a gender recognition certificate “may well be recorded as female but when considering a charge for rape this crime can only be committed by a person with male genitalia.” Wiltshire Police stated that a non-binary suspect’s sex would be recorded in line with how the recording officer observes it to be.
Jun 10 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
And for for West Yorkshire Police: how did they respond to our FOIAs? @WestYorksPolice
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data Collection:
West Yorkshire Police replied that where a suspect has been issued with a gender recognition certificate, they will record the suspect’s legally recognised acquired gender in lieu of sex registered at birth, including where a suspect has been arrested on suspicion of rape. Self-declared gender or gender identity will also be recorded in lieu of sex registered at birth, again including where the suspect has been arrested on suspicion of rape. In respect of recording non-binary identities, West Yorkshire Police replied: Our current crime recording system, Niche, does not have a non-binary field, therefore we would discuss the options with the individual and agree an appropriate selection, which can include unknown or unspecified. This is a national issue affecting all Forces that use Niche, and we are working closely with Niche to resolve this issue and allow us to correctly record all protected characteristics. We note that West Yorkshire Police appear to believe that non-binary is a protected characteristic: it is not.
Jun 10 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
What did West Midlans Police say?
Responses to our FOIAs below. @WMPolice
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data Collection:
West Midlands Police replied that they record suspects’ self-declared gender or gender identity. Where a suspect reveals that they have been issued with a gender recognition certificate this will be recorded as additional information. Usually, this would only be recorded if an individual was the victim of a suspected hate crime. Self-declared gender/gender identity will also be recorded where a suspect whose sex registered at birth is male is arrested on suspicion of rape. Here, transgender status will also be recorded as additional information. Where a suspect has a non-binary identity, West Midlands Police will record their sex as “indeterminate”.
Jun 10 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
How did West Mercia Police respond to our FOIAs?
@WMerciaPolice
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data Collection:
West Mercia Police replied that they record suspects’ legally recognised acquired gender in lieu of sex registered at birth, if the suspect has been issued with a gender recognition certificate, including in the case of rape. In the case of rape, the suspect’s “birth gender” may also be recorded as additional information. Where a suspect has not been issued with a gender recognition certificate, the suspect’s sex registered at birth will be recorded, not their self-declared gender. However, in the case of rape, the answer given indicated that both self-declared gender and “birth gender” could be recorded. Where a suspect identifies as non-binary, the sex will be recorded as “unspecified”.
Jun 10 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
How did Staffordshire Police answer our FOIAs?
@StaffsPolice
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data collection:
Where a suspect has been issued with a gender recognition certificate, their legally recognised acquired gender will be recorded in lieu of sex registered at birth, including in the case of rape. Self-declared gender/gender identity will not be recorded and sex registered at birth will be recorded. Non-binary identities will not be recorded.
Jun 10 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
What did Northumbria Police say when we asked our FOIAs? @northumbriapol
#ManifestoForPolicing
Searching Detainees: 8.0 Stop & Search In accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) searches which are physically intimate must be conducted by a person of the same gender as that of the person being searched.
Northumbria Police recognise the status of officers, staff and volunteers from the moment they transition, considered to be the point at which the individual is presenting in the gender to which they identify, and not just those with a GRC.
For example, if an officer is presenting as male during his work/volunteering commitments, but has not obtained a GRC, he will be able to conduct intimate searches on men, as he is recognised as that gender.
Jun 10 • 4 tweets • 4 min read
What does Northants Police have to say? @NorthantsPolice
Responses to our FOIAs below.
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data Collection:
Where a suspect has been issued with a gender recognition certificate, Northamptonshire Police will record their legally recognised acquired gender in lieu of their sex registered at birth, including in the case of rape. Where a suspect has not been issued with a gender recognition certificate, they will record their self-declared gender or gender identity, again, including in the case of rape. Where a suspect identifies as non-binary, “the suspect’s wishes will be respected” when recording their sex.
Jun 10 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Norfolk & Suffolk Constabularies gave a joint response to our FOIAs. @NorfolkPolice @SuffolkPolice
#ManifestoForPolicing
Data Collection:
they will record a suspect’s self-declared gender or gender identity, including in the case of rape and including where the suspect identifies as non-binary
Jun 10 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Leicestershire Police gave the following answers to our FOIAs. @leicspolice
#ManifestoForPolicing
Searching Detainees:
4.7.1 PACE states that stop searches that go no further than the outer clothing can be carried out by people of either sex, therefore there are no restrictions on transgender individuals carrying out such searches. 4.7.2 It is for chief officers to decide how to deploy their transgender staff and this is to be done in accordance with EA. Without clear guidance from a national level it is best dealt with and agreed on a case by case basis.
