Measurers described by some as draconian are set to boost stop and search powers and make it permanent under Boris Johnson’s latest crime crackdown.
“Section 60” powers, which allow police to search in an area without having reasonable grounds for suspicion against an individual, will be made easier as part of the “Beating Crime” plan unveiled on Tuesday.
The powers have long been controversial because many make claims they have had a disproportionate impact on black communities, but the prime minister has decided to ramp up their use to combat knife crime.
The usual pre-conditions for such searches have been temporarily watered down in recent years and now Prime Minister Johnson wants to make permanent police forces’ ability to deploy them with fewer checks.
Other plans include:
- expanding the use of 24-hour electronic tags for all burglars and thieves who leave prison.
- trialling “alcohol tags”, which detect alcohol in the sweat of offenders guilty of drink-fuelled crime.
- getting more offenders to clean up streets and open spaces.
- every neighbourhood having contactable, named police officers.
- league tables for 101 and 999 call answering times to be introduced for each police force.
In London there were 11,412 searches under Section 60 by the Metropolitan Police in the year ending March 2020, government data shows.
A total of 530 people were arrested following these searches, which is an arrest rate of 4.6%. This is compared to an arrest rate of 12.3% for other forms of stop and search.
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told HuffPost UK: “The government must be transparent about any potential for disproportionality with these measures.
“It’s vital with any new powers comes proper oversight, especially as building community trust is so vital to tackling crime.
“They must also get on with implementing recommendations from the Lammy review and also look to learn from innovative work being done to improve trust in policing.”
The Prime Minister said: “When I first stood on the steps of Downing Street as prime minister I promised to back the police and make people safer, because we cannot level up the country when crime hits the poorest hardest and draws the most vulnerable into violence.
“That is why my government has remained unstinting in its efforts to protect the British public and this plan delivers a fresh commitment, as we emerge from the impacts of the pandemic, to have less crime, fewer victims and a safer society.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Stop and search is a vital tool for tackling violence and saving lives.
“The Beating Crime Plan shows we are taking a twin-track approach which combines tough enforcement to get knives off our streets together with early intervention programmes that steer young people onto better paths for the future.
“An assessment of the pilot relaxing conditions on the use of section 60 stop and search showed it gave police officers greater confidence to make use of the power, better reflected the realities and uncertainties officers face on the ground around predicting serious violence, and acted as a deterrent.
“The government is giving the police these powers but ultimately it is an operational decision to use them and we expect officers to use their discretion.”
BIG TECH IS ON THE RISE… JOIN US ON ALTERNATIVE PLATFORMS TO BREAK THE CHAIN!
CLICK BELOW!
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
[sibwp_form id=4]
