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Met chief halts ‘blanket’ use of stop and search
Justin Davenport7 May 2009
Scotland Yard is to scale down its use of a highly contentious stop-and-search power.
The Met will halt its use of the Section 44 orders as a “blanket” weapon in the fight against terrorism.
The move was ordered by Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson after consultation with groups including the Muslim Safety Forum and Liberty.
The power, which was introduced in the Terrorism Act 2000, allows officers to stop and search without reasonable suspicion. It has been in force across London since the 7/7 bombings.
Anti-terrorism chiefs ordered an escalation of its use after the attempted bombing of the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Haymarket in June 2007. But government figures released last week showed minority communities were disproportionately targeted.
The number of black people stopped under the power rose by 322 per cent, compared with a rise of 277 per cent for Asians and 185 per cent for white people. Police will keep the power in force around “iconic” terrorism targets such as Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, but officers will have to rely on other powers if they are to stop and search suspects elsewhere.
Details of new tactics, to be implemented across London this summer, were being outlined by anti-terrorism chief Assistant Commissioner John Yates to the Metropolitan Police Authority today.
A pilot scheme has started in Southwark, Brent, Newham and Tower Hamlets — the four boroughs where the power has been most contentious.
Sir Paul said: “We might need to be a little more discerning about how we use it. Recently we've been using it as a blanket power. We should be more targeted about it, but I certainly do not want to lose that power.”
In a document to the MPA Mr Yates admits the power has damaged community relations and reversed the “fundamental principle” that people should only be stopped when there is reasonable suspicion.
Mr Yates said in future there is no reason why officers cannot use Section 43 of the Terrorism Act which allows officers to intervene if they have reasonable suspicion.
Under the new plans Scotland Yard will reserve the right to use the power in special circumstances to “prevent and deter”. It could be used at major train stations and places where people gather in large numbers. Critics of the Section 44 power say that it has little effect in combating terrorism. Police argue that it is effective in disrupting terrorist plots.
Since October 2007, the Met has conducted 154,293 Section 44 stop and searches. Lord Carlile, the anti-terrorism watchdog, has criticised the police for misusing the tactic. Civil rights group Liberty said only six in every 10,000 stops resulted in arrests.
Reader views (26)
Kev, your not sane. For one thing you tend to lump all Religious affiliations apart from Atheism into a huge pot and claim they collectively are the main proponents of Terrorism. This is not actually true. Christians are acting as terrorists? Jews? Not really, and the only religion blighted with it currently is Islam. Even then, not all Muslims are terrorists, and certainly shoudln't be subject to suspicion based soley on their beleifs. Incidentally, Atheists also commit terrorist acts, though not as well publisised. Tim McVeigh was an Agnostic, and many Neo-Nazi's and Modern Comunists still operate terror campaigns in Europe and elsewhere in order to foment revolution. Saying that Everyone but Atheists shoudl be subjected to dialy police investigations shows you, in fact, to be willing to engag ein authoritarianism, and to try to suppress those who do not think exactly like you. Guess what? Thats why the terrorists do as they do. You are no different from they.
- Zar, Dayton, Tennessee., 09/05/2009 04:59
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As a white British guy and a sane atheist who wears no uniform to denote my religious affiliations,i have no problem with the police stopping Muslims or Christians or Catholics,or Jews as the religious believers it would appear from recent events are the main exponents of terrorism as a means to an end.In fact i would make all religious believers report to a police station every day of the week,if section 44 were used in this logical way i and many other sane and rational citizens would I'm sure have no problem with the act.
- Kev, London-UK, 08/05/2009 09:37
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oh here we go, all the little racists coming out of the woodwork again.
British person from Deptford. Come on over you little toe rag. I'm just as bloody British as you. & Make sure you remember that. Or are the conservatives trying to create a race riot via the media just to collect votes. And so when we start fighting who is going to get hurt? Us or the politicians. STOP IT AND STOP IT NOW. Because I don't see why our young should get hurt just so that the politicians can continue fill their pockets.
- Deport The Government Campaign, London, 08/05/2009 02:19
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When I was in my late teens in the 70's my father overheard me complaining of being stopped and searched when walking home late at night. He pointed out that most 'street crimes' were carried out by those in my age range and I understood his reasoning. Is it not reasonable that a person of Asian heritage is more likely today to be a terrorist than a European and it was not that long ago that a Black editor of a magazine stated that it was far more likely that a Black youth would be involved in mugging or carrying a weapon than a white youth.
- Dave,Filton, Bristol England, 08/05/2009 00:29
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I thought stop and search had brought down knife crime in London recently.
Why is it being phased out when it's working. Why would you allow crime to increase just to please any community. How can you expect to be respected by anyone if you don't respect yourself. As the bard said; "This above all, to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night, the day thou canst then be false to any man" or am I offending someone by quoting an English writer.
- John Fadden, London, England, 07/05/2009 22:52
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If we cannot trust the police to use their judgement and experience to decide who to stop and search they are unfit to be police.
Fancy making yet more stupid rules and restrictions.
I don't worry about such a risk of being stopped, yet I am English.
- Michael, Kensington, UK, 07/05/2009 18:47
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That sounds bad news now more bad guys will carry guns.
- Stan White, leeds, 07/05/2009 16:14
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If the black community doesn't like the police policing them, maybe they should be policing themselves and turning in the bad elements.
- Andrew, Chelsea, 07/05/2009 15:32
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Will this also include football fans who are stopped under section 60's and told to hand over their details, speak into the camera or be arrested?
Thought not
- Lb, London, 07/05/2009 15:12
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All that they are doing is no longer using anti-Terroism powers to perform random stop and search. They still have the power to stop and search once they have formed a reasonable suspicion.
- Ian Gilbertson, Newcastle, 07/05/2009 14:56
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When I was a child in the seventies I never saw a knife in the street or heard talk of knife crime. Today, Knife crime is everywhere.
All this talk of civil rights? Civil rights for who? The law abiding majority do not seem to be a factor in this.
Turn the heat up, not down.
- Londoner, London ( south east) England, 07/05/2009 14:39
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I'm really worried about this. I feel vunerable as it is. Stop and search offers some reassurance that yobs and violent youths would be prevented from committing attacks on the innocent.
- Diana, London, 07/05/2009 14:32
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It is not surprising that Muslims and Black youngsters are stopped and searched more often that white,middleaged people.
It is the Muslims who have carried out suicide bombings and young black males who are the pricipal aggressors, and victims, of knife crime.
Liberty and the self serving Muslim Forum should live in the real world.
Liberty and the other "do good" self serving organisations
- Charles, Stanmore. London, 07/05/2009 14:22
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This Commissioner is going down the same road as Ian Blair (Political Muppett) stop and search is a vital tool for the police...Muslim Safety Forum and Liberty...they dont speak for me or for the potential victims of crime by taking away this power...to give in to this bunch of left wing do gooders is disgrace and so is Stephenson. Statistics are misleading and who cares provided it prevents crime. No wonder we have the knife and other related murders, get a grip Stephenson.
- Rosie, watford, 07/05/2009 14:18
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Have any of the people below/above been stopped and searched when going about their normal business? I have and it is not a pleasant experience especially when the police officers involved are rude and show no respect. I am a law abiding tax paying citizen......stop and search is like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut!
- Cee, London, 07/05/2009 14:13
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Alan of East London says: "it's a fact that almost every knife attack I read about recently involves a black youth. Most gangs I see hanging around east London are either Black or Asian". Alan, most of the knife attack victims have been white youths; the press just like to show the black ones - more sensation! And whilst most of the gangs in east London might be black or Asian, most of the ones in west London where I live are white, as are the ones in the north of England where my family live.
- Anthony, London, 07/05/2009 14:10
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Get a new comissioner!!!! One with guts to stand up to people and fights to help his officers fight crime without overbaring shackles, instead of reacting to stats and bowing to pressure from liberty etc!!!!
Get one with a spine!!!!
- Jh, London, 07/05/2009 13:51
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If this tactic was as effective as its supporters claim, knife crime - the everyday terrorist threat - would hardly exist in London.
- Austen, London, 07/05/2009 13:44
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Make everyone wear see-through clothing, if nothing else it'll put a smile/cringe on our faces...however, there'll be no more use of 'is that a gun in your pocket sir, or are you just pleased to see me', of course there'll be the optional fig-leaf made available...so now try hiding your knife, gun, drugs, explosives, etc, etc....but wait....here's Liberty to spoil the fun....must run....
- Alan, East London, 07/05/2009 13:43
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There needs to be a clear understanding of who it is who has perpetrated or tried to perpetrate terrorist attacks in the UK. No it wasn't middle aged white people or those of south east asian ethnicity, just as it isn't them who join street gangs and stab and shoot each other on our streets.
Stop and search must be used against those most likely to be engaged in the illegal and dangerous activities that the law and police exist to protect the law abiding majority from. As such it is outrageous to put political correctness, and in particular the false narrative of victimhood so beloved of some of our no integrating Muslim communities, before public safety and the defence of our democracy and values.
- Matt, London, UK, 07/05/2009 13:34
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Ihave seen the stop and search used on innocent people when it comes up the police hump they stop anybody i would not mind the fact if they had cause for concern but i have seen them making young lads girls empty thier handbags and pockets in full veiw of everyone walking past people carry personnel items with them condoms male and female and other personel items womans tampons and such and to have two burly policemen ask a women to empty her bag or have a good rumage through my nephew was stopped and the police laughed at him because he was sensible to carry a few condoms he was mortified in front of his friends something that should have been a private matter between him and his girlfriend was made known to all his friends he just wanted to lie down and die as well as beeing mortified at all the public walking past and sniggering at them in this day and age it is deplorable making people week feeble and mortified .
- James Fennessey, Glasgow, 07/05/2009 12:57
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Excuse me but am I missing something here...As for other parts of the community that feel they are being targeted, it's a fact that almost every knife attack I read about recently involves a black youth. Most gangs I see hanging around east London are either Black or Asian, so what do people expect. If you've got nothing to hide then what are you worried about, you carry a weapon or behave suspiciously then I feel that the Police have every right to stop and search. However, as it now appears that Police are now being freed up to provide a cash-wthdrawel security service, there won't be any left to carry out the searches.
- Alan, East London, 07/05/2009 12:35
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police use stop and search via section 43 without due cause , every weeks on hundreds/thousands of young people, including invasive photography and videoing - the fact that these are football fans, and on the whole working class, means that in the police eyes they are clearly all thugs and no civil liberty groups will represent them!
- Tim, london, 07/05/2009 12:04
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LET THE POLICE GET ON WITH THEIR JOB !!!
Take the politically correct (social engineering) handcuffs off the police, and LET THEM DO THEIR JOB !
- Bert, som, 07/05/2009 12:02
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What is so special about the Muslim Safety Forum and Liberty that they get to dictate which powers are appropriate for the police to use?. Both these groups want to hide the fact that ethnic minorities are far more likely to be involved in crime than white people.
- Barking Mad, Barking, 07/05/2009 11:37
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Stop and Search laws were banned donkeys years ago; it was called the suss law then; but it offended some; then it was bought back; now its being down graded etc.
I wish they would make up their minds once and for all.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 07/05/2009 11:17
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