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Stop and search powers to be revised Police stop and search powers to be overhauled
(about 1 hour 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 told the Commons that an inquiry had found that a quarter of searches may have been illegal.Theresa May told the Commons that an inquiry had found that a quarter of searches may have been illegal.
She said that if the number of stop and searches did not now come down, she would seek to change the law.She said that if the number of stop and searches did not now come down, she would seek to change the law.
The move follows a consultation, which highlighted concerns that stop and search was used too widely and was unfairly targeting ethnic minorities.The move follows a consultation, which highlighted concerns that stop and search was used too widely and was unfairly targeting ethnic minorities.
Labour say the plans do not go far enough.
'Affront to justice'
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.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.
Disciplinary action At present, police can stop someone if they have reasonable grounds to suspect they are carrying illegal drugs, a weapon, stolen property or something which could be used to commit a crime, such as a crowbar.
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. However, under Section 60 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, officers can also stop and search someone without suspicion that they are involved in wrongdoing if approved by a senior officer, for example, because there is a fear that serious violence could take place.
The revised guidelines will also require police officers to undergo a rigorous new assessment on how stop and search powers should be used. Mrs May said when misused, stop and search was an "enormous waste of police time" and "hugely damaging to the relationship between the police and the public".
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. "In those circumstances it is an unacceptable affront to justice."
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 more than half of all forces in England and Wales were ignoring some rules on stop and search.
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. "It is very clear that in a large number of cases the reasonable grounds for suspicion were not there and one can only therefore assume, given that black people are six times more likely to be stopped and searched than a white person, that it is precisely the fact that they are a black person that has led to that stop and search taking place.
'Not far enough' "It is absolutely disgraceful and sadly... this is a feeling that has come through to young people in black and minority ethnic communities that this is what happens and that this is, if you like, a way of life."
Labour said the changes to stop and search guidelines did not go far enough. Under the new plans:
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Mrs May had wanted a much tougher rewriting of the guidelines but this had been blocked. 'Backed down'
"We need to know why the home secretary has backed down," Ms Cooper said. The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the home secretary had wanted to go further, but her original proposals were blocked by Downing Street which was worried they might leave the Conservatives looking soft on crime in the run-up to the general election in 2015.
"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." Responding to Mrs May in the Commons, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper asked her: "Why aren't you banning the use of targets given to police officers to stop and search a certain number of people?
"Why won't you put the guidance on race discrimination on a statutory basis?
"And why won't you insist that all forces abide by case law rather than some?
"Because that is what you called for five months ago. You wrote to the prime minister in December saying that you wanted to change the law on Section 60 stop and searches so that the test for the powers used is necessary and expedient.
"Well, we agreed, but instead all you are doing is a voluntary scheme."
She added: "Your plans have been frisked of serious substance and we need to know why you have backed down."
"Your advisers have blamed 'regressive attitudes in No 10'. But why have you listened to them? Because you were right and they were wrong."