PFEW: Officer stop and search remains “effective tool”

THE POLICE Federation of England and Wales has insisted that stop and search is an “effective tool”, following a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary that criticised its use.

Out of 8,783 records reviewed by HMIC, police failed to record the “reasonable” motives for stopping and searching people in a quarter of cases. In a YouGov survey of 433 members of public in Essex, 58 per cent said that the use of stop and search in their area made them feel safer.

Only 11 per cent disagreed, with the rest neutral or unsure. Around four in five people said they believed stop and search helped to catch criminals and prevent crime.

The Inspectorate also said officer training was too focused on law and procedure rather than how to behave while conducting a search.

Responding to the report, PFEW Chairman Steve Williams said that stop and search remains “an effective tool to fight crime” and provides reassurance to the public that the streets are being properly policed.

“Many communities want a visible police presence, particularly those that may have high levels of crime and or a gang, gun and knife culture. It is, of course, extremely important that police officers use discretion when using the powers afforded to them,” he said.

“There must be sufficient grounds to exercise a stop and search and officers must remain accountable for the decisions they make.”

The Federation said it will be contributing to the government’s public consultation on stop and search, launched on 2 July.

Craig Mackey, the Met’s deputy commissioner and national policing lead on stop and search, said that when it is “intelligence led, proportionate and carried out with professionalism and respect” stop and search is an “important tool”.

However, he added: “There is more for police leaders to do to ensure that stop and search is being used fairly and effectively across the country.

“There are clear problems with recording practices; in many cases officers may have conducted a search based on suspicions but not recorded it fully. This needs to be rectified so that we can be sure that this power is being used in right way for the right reasons.”

Among recommendations made in the report, HMIC said national training should be designed to improve officers’ skills in establishing and recording their grounds for suspicion and to help officers understand the impact of stop and search on community trust in the police.