Met Police Consults On Stop & Search Charter

The Met Police proposes a Stop and Search Charter and is running on-line consultation this week.

• 18 October 2023, 1pm to 4pm
• 18 October 2023, 7pm to 9pm
• 20 October 2023, 7pm to 8pm

If you would like to take part, please register your interest using the Met’s online form.

I am intrigued as to why a Charter is needed given that there is a legislative backed Stop and Search Code of Practice. This was introduced in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

The Stop & Search Code of Practice

At the time I was Secretary of the Community/Police Consultative Group for Lambeth. The Group had been carefully going through the Bill word by word, line by line, clause by clause, and sending commentary and recommendations for amendments to the Government Minister, Douglas Hurd, and to MPs and Lords.  It had already successfully ensured that detainees would  have been to be taken in front of the magistrate for the review of extension of detention. Hurd attended one of its publicly open debates, and before he left stated which recommendations he would be taking on board..

When it came to the third reading Alf Dubs, Labour’s spokesman on the Bill, contacted the Group asking for advice on how to build additional safeguards on Stop and Search, because it had run out of ideas given all its previous suggestions had been rejected. The Group advised him to propose a Code of Practice, an idea the Group had been advocating but had not been picked up by either Government or Opposition. Dubs raised it at Third Reading. Hurd accepted the idea promising to bring in a Government clause at the Lords stage, which was duly done. The Group was later able to comment on and influence the wording of the Code.

In hindsight the Code came about because a committed local umbrella group was able to influence both Government and the Opposition, because it had earnt their respect for combining experience of what was happening on the streets and in the police stations with an ability to think through policy implications.

Debate In 2010

Since then there have been many changes to the Code of Practice. In December 2010 the campaign group StopWatch

Expressed concern about the proposal of the then Police Minister to reducing time spent on the completing the stop and search form by cutting crucial information. Chuka Umunna, the then Labour MP for Streatham commented that “This will prevent a proper evaluation being conducted into the use of these police powers, in particular an assessment of whether they are being used in a proportionate and a non-discriminatory way.” Dr Michael Shiner, an expert on stop and search from the London School of Economics, said: “Real time savings can be made by ensuring fewer, more effective stop and searches, but this cannot be achieved without rigorous oversight and scrutiny, which cannot, in turn, be achieved without recording stops and stop and search. In fact, real time savings could be made by

stopping excess unfair and unproductive stops and stop and searches on black and Asian people.”

At that time black people were stopped and searched by the police at more than six times the rate of white people. Meanwhile, Asian people are stopped and searched at more than twice the rate of white people. Targeting stop and search tactics on ethnic minority communities was continuing to drive a wedge between the police and sections of the public they serve.

Kjartan Sveinsson, the then research and policy analyst with the Runnymede Trust said: “Nick Herbert has said that he wants local people to have a greater say in how their communities are policed. Those communities which bear the brunt of stop and search tactics must also have their share of influence here. But if monitoring and accountability is cut, how can any public service – and particularly law enforcement – continue to serve and answer to the public? “

Stop Watch’s goals at the time were:

· Cut ethnic disproportionality in stop and search by half over the next five years and give forces guidance and support on how to achieve this.

· Review the use and regulation of stop and search powers that do not

require reasonable suspicion such as section 60, schedule 7 and the

Road Traffic Act.

· Ensure that procedures are in place for effective monitoring and

external accountability of stop and search.

· Create a parliamentary champion/ independent reviewer for fair stop

and search use, and equality in policing.

· Promote research on stop and search and alternatives to the use of

the power.

For more information see the StopWatch website: http://www.stop-watch.org

Questions For Croydon Police 2015

In 2015 in my submission to the Croydon Opportunity & Fairness Commission I posed the questions:

How many stops and searches were made in the Borough by age, gender and ethnic group and legislative power, shown Borough wide and by each police station?

How many stops and searches led to:

(a)      arrests by alleged crime

(b)      charging by alleged crime

(d)      court appearances for alleged crime

(e)      acquittal at court

(f)       custodial sentences

(g)      community service sentences

What steps have been undertaken since 2012 in respect of tackling any alleged or actual racial discrimination by Croydon police officers as illustrated for example in stops and searches?

With slight amendment these could form the basis on regular reporting to the Safer Neighbourhood Panels and the Safer Neighbourhood Board.

The Met statement on the Chater consultation 

As police, we recognise the value of stop and search legislation, as both a deterrent for carrying illegal items and to prevent harm by removing them from London’s streets.

In 2022, stop and search resulted in the seizure of 4508 weapons across the capital, however, we are also conscious that this power can and does impact our relationships with our communities, and their trust and confidence in the police – especially when done badly.

There is a need to reset this relationship, and as part of the New Met for London strategy and the Casey Review, we have committed to co-producing a Stop and Search Charter with our communities. Led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, the Charter will be a formal agreement between the Met and Londoners as to how the Met uses stop and search, focusing on balancing the use of the legalisation alongside trust and confidence.

Throughout September 2023, the Met has been engaging with communities and community leaders, including local members of parliament, charities, faith groups, young people and many more, collating their views on what they feel should be in a Charter and what success looks like for them.

No part of the Charter has yet been written, as its content will be created from the themes arising from our communities. As we gather the feedback we have received so far, we want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be heard, and so we also want to hear from you.

How to have your say

We are running three virtual events in October which we are offering to anyone who would like to take part. These events will give you a detailed insight into how community engagement is being designed and the methods for creating a Charter, it will also give time for you to provide your thoughts on what should be included.

The event dates are as follows:

• 18 October 2023, 1pm to 4pm
• 18 October 2023, 7pm to 9pm
• 20 October 2023, 7pm to 8pm

If you would like to take part, please register your interest using our online form. Please feel free to pass this article to anyone who lives in London and who you feel may want to get involved.

This is an excellent opportunity to reshape the way that stop and search is being done and how we interact with the community. The Met is fully committed to listen to what is being said and to act in a way that makes you feel confident in the service and with the powers we have been given.

Register your interest