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Stop and search powers to be reviewed Stop and search powers to be revised
(36 minutes later)
Police stop and search powers are to be overhauled with a revised code of conduct, the home secretary has said.Police stop and search powers are to be overhauled with a revised code of conduct, the home secretary has said.
Theresa May said while stop and search was an important police power, when misused it could be "counterproductive" and an "enormous waste of police time". Theresa May told the Commons that an inquiry had found that a quarter of searches may have been illegal.
She said the number of stop and searches should fall. If it did not, Mrs May said she would introduce legislation to enforce new measures. She said that if the number of stop and searches did not now come down, she would seek to change the law.
An inquiry found that a quarter of stop and searches may have been illegal. The move follows a consultation, which highlighted concerns that stop and search was used too widely and was unfairly targeting ethnic minorities.
The probe by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary also found that more than half of all police forces in England and Wales were ignoring some rules on stop and search. Recent figures show only about 10% of more than a million searches lead to an arrest, with black people six times more likely to be stopped than those who are white.
'Reasonable grounds' Disciplinary action
The home secretary has written to forces in England and Wales informing them of the revamped code, which she said would clarify what constituted "reasonable grounds" for police suspicion. Mrs May said she had written to police forces in England and Wales to set out what would constitute reasonable grounds for conducting a stop and search.
Where officers were found not to be "using their powers properly", they could face disciplinary action. The revised guidelines will also require police officers to undergo a rigorous new assessment on how stop and search powers should be used.
She said where officers were found not to be "using their powers properly", they could face disciplinary action or be barred from using such powers.
When misused, stop and search was "counterproductive" and an "enormous waste of police time", Mrs May said.
She referred to a recent inquiry by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), which found that 27% of stop and searches did not contain reasonable grounds for suspicion and more than half of all forces in England and Wales were ignoring some rules on stop and search.
'Not far enough'
Labour said the changes to stop and search guidelines did not go far enough.Labour said the changes to stop and search guidelines did not go far enough.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Mrs May had wanted a much tougher rewriting of the guidelines but this had been blocked.Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Mrs May had wanted a much tougher rewriting of the guidelines but this had been blocked.
"We need to know why the home secretary has backed down," Ms Cooper said."We need to know why the home secretary has backed down," Ms Cooper said.
"Her advisers have blamed regressive attitudes in Number 10. But why has she listened to them because she was right and they were wrong. These proposals are too weak and the home secretary has given in.""Her advisers have blamed regressive attitudes in Number 10. But why has she listened to them because she was right and they were wrong. These proposals are too weak and the home secretary has given in."