Metropolitan Police Authority – May meeting

24/07
24 May 2007

A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) will be held in meeting room 1 (ground floor), 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1 on Thursday 31 May 2007 at 10.00 a.m.

The meeting will discuss a review of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) use of counter-terrorism stop and search powers in London.

A review of police use of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act and its value in preventing terrorist atrocities was an urgent requirement of the Authority’s recent report ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, published following a year-long investigation into the causes and effects of terrorism amongst London’s diverse communities.

Len Duvall, chair of the MPA, said:

“If we are to make London the safest major city in the world and protect Londoners against acts of terrorism, we have to mobilise not just the resources of the state but also the active support of our communities. To achieve this we must continue to build trust between the police and the communities they serve, and we can only do this if we fully understand the concerns of every section of our society.

“The public made clear to the Authority that the use of Section 44 powers to stop and search Londoners without ‘reasonable grounds’ was undermining community trust in, and understanding of, police counter-terrorist activity.

“While the MPA recognises the need to use all available tools to prevent terrorism, we are determined these tools should be as transparent and publicly accountable as possible.

“The Authority therefore welcomes the MPS’s recognition of the significant community concerns raised by the use of Section 44 and the commitment to publish a breakdown of Section 44 data on a borough basis every three months. This will enable local community monitoring groups, through which communities can scrutinise the use of stop and search powers in their areas, to challenge any disproportionality and discrepancies.

“The MPS’s commitment to produce new standard operating procedures, outlining how officers should put Section 44 policy into practice, is also welcomed as a positive step to reassure communities that the power is being used objectively, and without prejudice, in the fight against terrorism.”

In conclusion, Len Duvall said:

“I think it’s worth repeating the main message from Londoners that stood out during our community engagement programme. While there is profound support across all communities for the police’s counter-terrorist effort, there is also a real fragility to public trust in the authorities. If the MPS is to tackle terrorism effectively, it must harness this community support and recognise this fragility. We believe that the steps the MPS has committed itself to will help to win this trust.”

Other items on the agenda include:

• MPA Drugs Scrutiny;
• MPS Drugs Strategy 2007/10; and
• Joint MPA/MPS Annual report 2006/07.

Commissioner Sir Ian Blair will give an update on operational policing issues in London and present a written performance report.

Please note: the Commissioner's update will take place as near to 12:00 as possible, discussion permitting.

Notes to editors

1. The committee papers for this meeting can be found at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2007/070531/default.htm

2. ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’ can be found at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/counterterrorism

3. Confidential anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321

4. Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

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