Custody cells already have cameras. But a camera can't see through bedding, or read the small, constant movements that show someone is alive. Radar can.
THE CASE FOR RADAR
More frequent observation is often recommended in custody settings, but staffing makes constant checking impossible. Cameras are already present, yet they have their limits. Ultra-wideband radar closes the gaps where a camera falls short, so fewer things go unseen between checks.
Reads movement across the whole cell through bedding and when a person is turned away or obscured. It senses the small, constant movements that show someone is present and alive, not just a shape on a screen.
Detects a fall, a collapse, or a person who has gone unusually still, and prompts staff to the cell within seconds. It raises the alarm in the moment rather than leaving it to be reviewed afterwards.
Through the night, when a cell is dark and a person is in bed, the sensor keeps working. It reads movement through bedding and in the dark, without lights and without a clear view of the person.
Safety built in
The sensor sits on the ceiling, powered by a single cable. There is no device at floor or bed level, no exposed wiring, and nothing worn. Nothing a person can pull at, unplug, remove, or use as a ligature point.
Ultra-wideband radar senses presence, position, and movement without forming an image. No camera image, no microphone, and no biometric data stored, so there is less sensitive data to govern, safeguard, and account for.
Radar reads movement through bedding, in the dark, and when a person is turned away or covered. It keeps working in the conditions where a camera in the corner falls short.
For the team on shift
Welfare One gives the custody team continuous awareness between checks. This is what that means in practice in the suite.
A fall, a collapse, or a person who has gone unusually still surfaces as an alert within seconds, so a response can start in the moment rather than at the next check.
Every welfare check is logged with a timestamp and the responding officer, and every alert carries an acknowledgement and resolution trail. A clean, defensible record for PPO, IOPC, and coroner scrutiny, with nothing extra to fill in.
Continuous awareness sits alongside the existing observation regime, supporting the checks the team already carries out rather than replacing them.
The platform sits alongside the team's existing workflow and observation routine. It adds awareness without changing how the suite operates.