Stop and search - interim response to the Association of Police Authorities (APA)

Report: 6
Date: 26 June 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

Officers have submitted an interim response to the APA based on the consultation undertaken to gain the views of the public on Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report proposing that the police should be required to give a record to an individual when they have been stopped.

All the groups consulted, except police officers, supported the recommendation. Initial analysis of the questionnaires completed by almost 600 individuals also indicates support for the implementation of the Recommendation. There are, however, significant issues that have arisen as a result of the consultation. These are brought to the attention of the committee with recommendations for next steps.

A. Recommendations

1. The Committee notes the interim response submitted to the APA which summarises the outcome of the Metropolitan Police Authority's consultation on Recommendation 61.
2. Members endorse the process proposals for dealing with the emerging outcome of the report.
3. Members approve the establishment of a small working group of key stakeholders who will be responsible for giving guidance on the further stages of the development of all aspects of this project to include proposals for the implementation action plan.

B. Supporting information

1. A copy of the draft interim response to the Association of Police Authorities of the consultation to seek the public's views on Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report has already been circulated to Members of the Authority see Appendix 1.

Members have been asked to comment on the report and officers will make further amendments to the report where required. Revisions will be circulated to all Authority members.

Definition of a police stop

2. The MPA and MPS, with the assistance of Dr Richard Stone, were able to make significant progress in this area, resulting in the development of an initial draft definition of a 'stop.' It is proposed that a joint MPA/MPS working group should be set up to take this work further and to liaise with the national interests.

3. Dr Stone is interested in continuing to play a role in such further developments and it is proposed that he should be invited by the Chair of the committee to do so. It would seem sensible for the Chair of this committee liaise with the Deputy Commissioner to agree the membership of the working group.

Completion of the full consultation report

4. A draft initial outline of the content of the full consultation report see Appendix 2. We now need to involve members more closely in the detailed drafting. It is therefore proposed that a small editorial group (Members and communication officers) should be established to advise on the completion of the report.

5. Nick Long, Cindy Butts, Jennette Arnold and Peter Herbert, Deputy Chair of the Authority, have been involved in the consultation exercise since March. It is therefore proposed that they should form the editorial group with the Clerk and Director of Communications. The group will decide no doubt whether to involve the MPS.

Feedback on the consultation outcomes

6. Significant level of interest from a range of communities. It is an important principle of consultation to ensure feedback is given to all groups consulted. Such a process is important for establishing an atmosphere of respect for the views of those consulted. It should also form the basis for the development of trust and confidence in those groups that previously had no relationship with the Authority.

7. It is proposed that the feedback process should include scheduled meetings with the key groups consulted following the decisions of this committee. There should be written correspondence to those who responded to the questionnaire, and indicated that they wished to be involved in further consultation. Notifications will be placed on the web pages of those organisations that assisted the MPA with the consultation to inform them of the initial outcomes.

8. Members may also wish to consider hosting a feedback seminar jointly with the MPS towards the end of the year, when the key outcomes as well as the key learning from the programme could be shared with others, including for example other police authorities and criminal justice organisations.

C. Financial implications

None at present, but if the report is to be published there will be a cost which will be reported to this committee.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Julia Smith, MPA.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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