Stop and search - potential changes must be fully debated

04/08
31 January 2008

Commenting on the national debate on a review of police stop and account powers, John Roberts, MPA lead member for stop and search scrutiny, said:

“Stop and search and stop and account powers are vital tools in the fight against crime and terrorism, as long as they are used with respect and sensitivity.

“The Metropolitan Police Authority closely scrutinises the use of these powers and the way in which they impinge on our communities. Any move to widen their use, eliminate the need for police to have reasonable suspicion of an offence having been committed, or scrapping the stop and account form must be fully debated and the views of our communities sought and listened to before any final decisions are taken.

“There is a lot of speculation at the moment around this issue. The MPA will await publication of Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s review and announcement of the government’s intentions before we decide upon our detailed response.

“We reply on strong community-police relations and if we are to retain public trust and support, stop and search powers must be used fairly as part of intelligence-led policing.

“We all want to see less bureaucracy to free up police to spend even more time on the streets as long as we retain full accountability of their actions.

“Police stops are one of the most contentious policing issues for London’s black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, and we therefore need to ensure that police use of these powers is acceptable to and supported by all concerned.”

Notes to Editors

In 2003-04 the MPA conducted a comprehensive review of stop and search powers used by the Met, which resulted in 55 recommendations that improved the way they were used in London and increased accountability.

The introduction of Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report led to the requirement for police to give those they stopped and questioned a record of the stop.

The MPA is currently reviewing a proposed revised MPS stop and search and account form, which once approved will be piloted in a number of London boroughs before being rolled out across the capital. The revisions cut the length of the form by half. The introduction of handheld computers for police expected later in the year should also speed up the process.

Further media information

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