MPA Stop and Search progress report - 'One Year On'

64/05
20 December 2005

‘One Year On’, a report published by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) stop and search board, reviews progress made since the Authority’s scrutiny into how the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) conducts stop and search.

John Roberts, MPA link member for Lambeth and lead on stop and search, said:

“The use of stop and search remains one of the most contentious policing practices for many of London’s communities. It affects these communities disproportionately and engenders a perception of unfairness that both threatens the acknowledged effectiveness of stop and search as a policing tool and, just as importantly, adversely impacts on trust and confidence in the police.

“Out of the 55 recommendations made by the original scrutiny report for both the MPA and the MPS, 13 are now complete. It is anticipated that the implementation of the recommendations will take three years to complete and currently we are well within this timeframe.”

Since the scrutiny the MPA has established a community monitoring network across London to support stop and search groups and share good practice.

John Roberts continued:

“In order to promote transparency and accessibility the MPS will be putting in place a monitoring mechanism that will be available to the public on the MPS website. This will enable the public to see levels and numbers of stops and searches borough by borough, and hence compare activities.

“It has also been agreed with senior MPS officers that s44 stop and search figures will be published on the site on a monthly, met- wide basis.

“We fully appreciate and recognise the enormous efforts that the MPS has undertaken in recent years to improve police - community relations. This progress must be sustained if we are to achieve our ultimate aim to restore all our communities’ trust in the police and to ensure that all Londoners are treated equally by police officers.”

Notes to editors

1. Full details of the MPA Stop and Search Scrutiny can be found on the MPA website

2. Legislative background for Stop and Search practice

Statutory Search Powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)

The general power for police to stop people, vehicles and vessels, comes from the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Both the powers to Stop and Search under PACE and those authorised by most other statutes must be carried out in accordance with the Code A of the Codes of Practice.

S.60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (CJPO)

This power gives a constable in uniform the right to stop and search any person or vehicle, within a particular area, during a specific period of time, to prevent serious violence and the carrying of weapons and also provides the power to request removal of face coverings.

S.44 Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000 (POTA)

This power gives a constable in uniform the right to stop and search any person or vehicle, if they have articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism, authorised by a chief officer and applied within a particular area for a specific period of time.

Under both Section 60 CJPO and Section 44 POTA , police do not require the ‘reasonable grounds’ to make stops and searches, which are always required for the general power to stop and search people under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984.

3. Stop and search statistics

The number of stop & searches recorded in the past 12 months has increased by 2.4% year on year. There are currently 34 stop & searches per 1,000 residents recorded in London. The number of stop & searches varies by ethnicity groups:

• 23 stop & searches recorded per 1,000 white population;
• 99 per 1,000 black population; and
• 31 per 1,000 Asian population.

Stop & searches recorded for most groups show a year on year increase, with the largest for Asian persons, increasing by 4.6%.
The proportion of stop & searches of male persons is 93.7% (227,994 rolling year), with just 12,367 women being stopped & searched.

The actual number of arrests made from stop & searches has remained at a similar rate year on year. The arrest rate for all groups are also similar year on year, with the only increase recorded for Asian arrest rate which has risen from 8.7% to 8.8%. The arrest rate for white persons is 10.5% and black persons 11.7%. The overall arrest rate currently stands at 10.9% to August 2005.

Source: MPS report to MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board 1 December 2005

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