Metropolitan Police Authority - Stop and Search Scrutiny panel

03/04
22 January 2004

The MPA Stop and Search Scrutiny panel will be hearing additional evidence from Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, head of Territorial Policing in the MPS, and Doreen Lawrence at its public meeting on Friday 23 January 2004 at 10 Dean Farrar Street SW1 starting at 3.00pm.

Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin will be questioned about the Territorial Support Group's (TSG) functions and accountability in relation to stop and search, the circumstances under which Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Disorder Act 1994 is implemented and how stop and search data is monitored and analysed. A great deal of evidence has been heard from a range of officers concerning performance and practice of stop and search in the MPS, and the panel will be seeking answers from AC Godwin on a number of these issues.

The panel will consider the extent to which, under AC Godwin ' s leadership, the MPS has progressed the recommendation in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report that an enhanced statistical breakdown of police stops should be in place.

Doreen Lawrence has played an influential role in informing strategies to change policing in London. The panel is eager to seek her view on whether, almost five years since the publication of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry Report, she has seen the changes that she anticipated. The scrutiny panel will also consider whether stop and search is an essential police tool to detect and deter crime.

Cecile Wright, Chair of the Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel, said:

" Doreen Lawrence has been at the cutting edge of influencing policing and race relations. She has played an invaluable role in the Home Secretary ' s Lawrence Steering Group and we look forward to the information she has to share with the MPA. Her views on police performance and practice in stop and search are very important to the scrutiny.

"The panel has taken evidence from officers of all ranks, ranging from constables to commanders. It is therefore appropriate that we report some of their comments, observations and criticisms to AC Godwin. He also has overall responsibility for the TSG and we will be questioning him about their use of stop and search, which sometimes creates problems for some sections of our communities."

This public meeting of the Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel is open to members of the public and press.

Background

In January 2003, the MPA's Co-ordination and Policing Committee agreed to conduct a scrutiny into the MPS's performance and practice in using stop and search across the capital.

The scrutiny will be overseen by the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board, the MPA committee responsible for matters relating to equal opportunity and diversity issues, and will concentrate on five key aspects of stop and search that previous studies have not explored. These are:

• Disproportionality and profiling;
• Use of stop and search data and policing intelligence;
• Cost effectiveness of stop and search;
• Public engagement and information; and
• Determine whether there exists different levels of criminality within different sectors of the population.

Cecile Wright, Chair of the Panel, said:

"Historically, stop and search has resulted in distrust and levels of disengagement by those Londoners who are repeatedly stopped and searched. Although figures suggest a decrease in criminal activities the MPS' figurers still show black Londoners are four times more likely to be stopped than white Londoners.

"This is of concern to the MPA as it impacts on the ability of the MPS to recruit black and ethnic minority people into the police service.

"Detailed investigation of the five areas to be addressed by the Scrutiny Panel will contribute significantly to addressing longstanding and unresolved issues surrounding police practice and use of stop and search."

Notes to editors

Full details of the scrutiny and terms of reference are available on the MPA website.

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