The Metropolitan police have been urged to adopt a ‘less aggressive’ approach when conducting stop-and-search as they release a new charter which outlines the Met’s dedication to improve the quality of searches and improving public trust and accountability as reported Times.
The Charter, established through discussions between Londoners and the force, intends to enhance the quality of police practices while addressing the persistent concerns over racial profiling. It seeks to enhance stop and search practices while utilising technology, promoting independent governance, and engaging the community to build public trust.
The introduction of new technologies has, however, raised further concern, as reported in the Justice Gap earlier this month, the use of ‘predictive policing’ to target surveillance and stop and search procedures has been criticized for racial discrimination.
Stop and search has been one of the most debated policing tools, often with negative connotations. There have been cases of unprofessionalism that have damaged the public’s confidence in the metropolitan police.
One such case was Bianca Williams and her partner, who were racially profiled by officers while driving through northwest London. The incident fuelled broader debates about how aggressive police practices were whilst conducting stop and searches and how it disproportionately affects Black communities.
As a result of this and similar incidents and growing public frustration, Baroness Casey of Blackstock recommended the establishment of new protocols for stop-and-search practices following her review of the Metropolitan Police in March 2023. This had encouraged the need for equity, accountability, and the public’s trust.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defended the necessity of stop and search, ‘Stop and search is a critical policing tool. Done well, it stops those intent on causing death, injury and fear in our communities. It takes dangerous weapons and drugs off our streets, and in doing so, it saves lives. Done badly, it has the potential to burn through trust with those we are here to protect.’
Ade Adelekan, a deputy assistant commissioner with the Metropolitan Police, stated stop and searches are ‘extremely important in saving lives, but when done poorly, it has the ability to burn through trust like nothing we know, so it’s critical we reset our relationship.’
