The vulnerability identification tracker illustrates the extent to which each police force (and all police forces as a whole) apply the appropriate adult safeguard.

It shows the percentage of adult detentions in custody in which the police recorded the need for an appropriate adult.

The data were provided by police forces, in response to requests from NAAN made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Police force responses are available via WhatDoTheyKnow.com.  Data up to March 2019 was previously published in There to Help 3 (2019). Data from April 2019 has not previously been published. 

Subject to the limitations below, here are some of the things you can use the vulnerability identification tracker for:

• identify opportunities for development in your local police force
• see whether identification is changing over time (locally or nationally)
• track the impact of any changes being made (e.g. new training)
• compare multiple police forces in a particular geographical area
• compare multiple police forces that are a similar size
• compare the averages in England and Wales with Northern Ireland.

1: Monthly percentages

Page 1 of the tracker shows the monthly recorded vulnerability identification rate (RVIR) for any police force. These are the percentages of adult detentions which each police force recorded as needing an appropriate adult.

You can select any combination of territorial police forces in England and Wales, plus British Transport Police.

2: Annual percentages and heatmap

Page 2 of the tracker has two sections.

The first section shows the annual recorded vulnerability identification rate (RVIR) for any police force. These are the annual percentages of adult detentions which each police force recorded as needing an appropriate adult.

The second section is a 'heat map'. Police force areas where the RVIR is lower (relative to other police forces) are redder. Those where it is higher are greener.

You can select any combination of territorial police forces in England and Wales, plus British Transport Police. This will be reflected in both sections.

3: Annual percentages

Page 3 of the tracker compares the annual RVIR for each force in each year, illustrating how this has changed.

You can select any combination of territorial police forces in England and Wales, plus British Transport Police. This will be reflected in both sections.

4: England & Wales vs Northern Ireland

Page 4 of the tracker compares the average annual RVIR for England and Wales (including British Transport Police) with the RVIR for Northern Ireland.

Select a page

Go to toolbar below the chart window. In the centre, click on the left and right arrows, or on the page number and select a page from the menu.

Select a time period

Go to the toolbar above the chart window. The start data and end date are in the top left. Select your preferred start and dates by clicking on a data box and typing the dates.

Alternatively, you can click on the calendar icons to browse dates. Use the up and down arrows to move through dates. Click on the year to use the arrows to browse through years quickly.

The earliest availble date is 1st April 2018.

Select a single police force

Go to the toolbar above the chart window. In the top right there is a drop-down box labelled "POLICE FORCE". Click the name of the police force you would like to view.

Select multiple police forces

Go to the toolbar above the chart window. In the top right there is a drop-down box labelled "POLICE FORCE".

Hold the Ctrl key (or Command key on Mac), while clicking the names of the police forces you would like to view.

This feature is not available on mobile devices.

Select all police forces

Go to the toolbar above the chart window. In the top right, click on the drop-down box labelled "POLICE FORCE". Click "Select all" at the top of the list.

Deselect a police force

Go to the toolbar above the chart window. In the top right, click on the drop-down box labelled "POLICE FORCE". Hold the Ctrl key (or Command key on Mac), while clicking the names of the police forces you would like to deselect.

Example 1: To view only the territorial police forces (on pages 1 to 3), use the "POLICE FORCE" drop down box to "Select all", then hold Ctrl and click on "British Transport Police".

Example 2: To view the average for England and Wales (including BTP), go to page 4, click on the "POLICE FORCE" drop down box, then hold Ctrl and click on Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The tracker can be used on mobile. However, you will

• not have the ability to select multiple police forces
• may find it difficult to see and navigate the tracker

We recommend turning your device to landscape mode, and using a keyboard where possible (so that you can hold down Ctrl/Command)

We recommend using a computer. 

Some forces were not able to provide monthly data on adult detentions (detention data) and recorded need for appropriate adults (AA data) for every period.

Where detention data were available, but AA data were not available, we have not included the detention data. This means that the tracker will not always give accurate detention data.

For the year 2018/19, a small number of forces were only able to provide annual total figures. To avoid confusion, we have not included these data.

The data relates to the need for an appropriate adult as recorded by police. It does not relate to the provision of appropriate adults. It is possible that, in some cases, the need for an appropriate adult was recorded but no appropriate adult was secured. It is also possible that in some cases an appropriate adult was secured but this was not recorded. We have assumed that the net effect of any such cases is not material.

These data do not include the identification of need for an appropriate adult for a child. While many children also meet the definition of a vulnerable person, all children must have an appropriate adult due to their age. Evidence suggests that appropriate adults are practically always secured by police for children.

Some changes in reported recorded need will be the result of changes in custody IT systems. Such changes can impact the quality of both data recording and reporting. For example, Greater Manchester Police reported very low AA need in April-June 2019 before seeing a significant increase; the forces stated in it's FOI response that "In July 2019, GMP implemented one of the largest IT infrastructure changes in UK policing".

For further information about data limitations, see There to Help 3 (2019) and individual FOIA responses.