Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the survey commissioned by the Criminal Justice Alliance, published on 29 June, which found that more than a third of BAME people aged 16 to 30 did not believe police used fair information to decide whom they stopped and searched; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which the use of stop and search powers unfairly targets BAME communities.
Answered on
20 July 2017
The Government notes the concerning findings in the Criminal Justice Alliance’s report.
Launched in 2014, the Government’s reforms to the use of stop and search powers have helped forces improve their use significantly. Prior to this, the facts around use of stop and search powers were alarming: only 9% of over 1 million stop and searches resulted in an arrest; you were 7 times more likely to be stopped and searched if black; and HMIC found that almost a third of police stop and search records showed a potential unlawful search. This contrasts with the picture now, which shows a more targeted and intelligence led approach, with fewer searches and an arrest rate at its highest on record, standing at 16%. Additionally, HMIC has recently found that more stop and search records contain reasonable grounds for suspicion, indicating improvements in officer knowledge of the legal basis of most stop and search powers.
The latest statistics, which show that you are 3 times more likely to be stopped and searched if you are from a BAME background, and 6 times more likely if you are black, is, however, a clear indication that there is no room for complacency. The Government will continue to push through reforms to stop and search together with its partners - the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC). However, it is vital that chief officers provide the local direction and focus needed to drive reform in their forces.