72E-Holding Facility - 2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Policy & Procedure Page 1 of 11 Lexington Police Department Subject: Holding Facility Policy Number: 72E Accreditation Standards: Reference: : 72.1.1; 72.1.2; 72.2.1; 72.3.1; 72.3.2; 72.4.3; 72.4.4; 72.4.6; 72.4.7; 72.4.8; 72.4.9; 72.5.3; 72.5.6; 72.4.11; 72.5.3; 72.6.2; 72.6.4 Effective Date: 1/1/13  New  Revised Revision Dates: 1/24/19 By Order of: Mark J. Corr, Chief of Police The Municipal Police Institute, Inc. (MPI) is a private, nonprofit charitable affiliate of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. MPI provides training and model policies and procedures for police agencies. This policy is an edited version of MPI Policy 3.02 “Holding Facility.” GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND GUIDELINES This policy addresses the operation of the police lockup facility. The authority to operate a lockup facility by a municipality is rooted in Massachusetts General Law: “Each community containing more than five thousand inhabitants shall, and any town may, maintain a lockup facility.”i A Keeper of the Lockup must be appointedii and the Chief of Police is appointed each year by the Board of Selectmen. “Cities with a population over thirty thousand shall, and any other city may, designate one or more police stations for the detention of females and one or two matrons shall be appointed to each designated station.”iii The proper operation of the police lockup is critically important to the safety of police personnel and the well-being of prisoners or detainees. A unique relationship exists between a police department and a person occupying a cell in its holding facility. By statute, the obligation to maintain a lockup includes the provision of any prescribed medication and nutritionally adequate meals.iv In addition, detailed statutory requirements exist concerning suicide prevention.v Department of Public Health regulations at 105 CMR 470 provide detailed requirements for the maintenance and construction of lockup facilities. It is the policy of The Lexington Police Department to: • Operate a safe and sanitary lockup facility in compliance with state and local codes and regulations; • Care for detainees, being attentive to their security and medical needs; and • Provide special care for juveniles, separate from adults and only in approved facilities.