Stop and account – do we need to continue to record it?

19/11
9 May 2011

MPA and MPS consultation event 

A community consultation event will be hosted by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to explore the need to continue to record stop and account in London, on Wednesday 11 May, 1.00pm -  4.00pm in The Chamber, City Hall, Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA.

This will be an important opportunity for Londoners, particularly young people, to share their views about whether stop and account should continue to be recorded in London. It is vital we understand community concerns to inform the decision about either keeping or discontinuing the recording of stop and account in London.

The event will be opened by Kit Malthouse, chair of the MPA. Kurt Barling will facilitate the event and introduce the panel members: Reshard Auladin (MPA deputy chair) Doreen Lawrence (Stephen Lawrence Trust) Dr Richard Stone (Stephen Lawrence Inquiry) Commander Tony Eastaugh (MPS lead for Stop and Search) Professor Ben Bowling (King’s College London) and Mike Ainsworth (National Policing Improvement Agency).

There will also be a youth panel: Sarah Edoo (Youth Engagement Panel) Akeem Edwards (Chair Brent Stop and Search Community Monitoring Group)  Kanjay Ibrahim Sesay (NUS Black Students Officer) Lara Cranshaw (Catch 21) Tariq Chowdhury (independent film maker) Danni Briggs (Independent Academic Research Studies) and Tarek Chaudhury (Reprezent FM Community Radio).

Members of the audience will be invited to put questions to panel members and Cindy Butts, independent member of the MPA, will close the event.

Notes to Editors

1. At present in London a stop and account is recorded when a police officer or Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) stops a person and asks them to explain why they are in a particular place, why they are carrying something or why they are behaving in a particular way. 

The time, date and place where the stop happened are recorded and a copy of the record given to the person stopped. The person stopped does not need to give their name or address but their ethnic background is recorded. In return the officer provides a receipt or a business card so the person stopped knows the identity of the police officer.

2. The government has proposed that recording stop and account should stop, and no receipt should be given. Changes were made to stop and account in the Crime and Security Act 2010.  The Home Office legislation gave police services the option not to record stop and account to reduce the paper work police officers are required to complete. Some police forces in England and Wales have already made the decision to discontinue recording stop and account.

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