Leicestershire officers' use of stop and search halves in year
Police use of stop and search powers has fallen by more than half in the past year – but black and Asian people are still disproportionately targeted, a study has found.
In 2010, Leicestershire officers used the powers on approximately 25,000 occasions.
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About one in 10 people checked is arrested
Last year, the total fell to fewer than 12,000, according to a report to Leicestershire Police Authority yesterday.
However, black and Asian people were still more likely to be stopped and searched than white people.
The force is reviewing its use of the powers after it was threatened with legal action last year by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
The commission said black people in Leicestershire were almost five times more likely to be searched as white people, and Asians one-and-a-half times more likely.
The latest statistics suggested the discrepancy remained.
The force has asked De Montfort University academics to review officers' use of the powers.
Chief Inspector Nick Glynn said officers were urged to think carefully before stopping and searching and to concentrate on those thought to pose a "greater risk of harm".
He said: "Stop and search is a useful tactic and it helps us detect and prevent crime.
"The racial disproportionality has improved slightly but that's all.
"We've undertaken a huge amount of work on how we use these powers and while we've had a significant reduction in its use, crime has continued to fall."
Police said 10 per cent of stop searches currently resulted in an arrest, compared with about 5 per cent a year ago.
Chino Cabon, of Leicester Race Equality Centre and a member of the panel of community representatives put together by the force to oversee its review, said: "There is still a long way to go to address the disproportionate use of stop and search.
"But it is good news at least that it is being used far less than in the past and that crime has continued to fall."
EHRC said it was "disappointed" the disproportionality rates had not changed.
However, it said: "The halving of stop searches shows a major change in force practice."
Professor James Treadwell, a criminologist at the University of Leicester, said: "Stop and search is pretty ineffective. It does not lead to a significant number of arrests.
"It's interesting that the proportion of arrests has risen as the power is used less.
"That suggests the police are adopting a more intelligence-led strategy in using the power.
"But if it is used wrongly, it can damage the relationship between the police and the communities."
Chief Insp Glynn would like to hear young people's views about stop and search.
He can be found on Twitter at @NickGlynnLeics.
19 Comments
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by DonHenson
Saturday, February 11 2012, 5:01AM
“Nobody appears to have noticed that the LM has fallen into the stereotype by using a pair of black hands being handcuffed.
Or are they just going with the percentages?”
by Kohelet
Friday, February 10 2012, 8:57PM
“Sorry siapro, I have to disagree.
Under the Chief Constable's Report of 30 June 2009 document Constabulary Equality Scheme, Leicestershire Constabulary set a local BME employment target of 15%.
That has not been met”
by 22FARAWAYFOX
Friday, February 10 2012, 7:13PM
“If I was a De Montfort academic, I would be suggesting that the stop and search powers be UPRATED.........on that big patch of grass called Victoria Park!!!!!!!!”
by ChrisLough
Friday, February 10 2012, 1:37PM
“What is lacking from this article is the context in which the stop and searches were made. As I'm lead to believe, the police may only use stop and search powers if they have "reasonable grounds" (except where Section 60 has been applied).
It would be useful to know the broader context of these "reasonable grounds" before making sweeping interpretations based on limited information.”
by siapro
Friday, February 10 2012, 11:10AM
“Sorry Kohelet I have to disagree. In my job I work along side the Police and I know and speak to many black and asian officers. Black/asian officers may be unrepresented in the country as a whole but not in Leicestershire.”
by Boy_Bono
Friday, February 10 2012, 12:37AM
“Every stereotype derives from some form of truth, or a shared experience. So, whilst stereotyping may be wrong it doesn't dispute that the minority ruined it for the majority.
On the other side of the coin, one is more likely to get a lenient sentence or play the race card if they are black, asian, or any other ethnic minority. Remember, ethnic minorities cannot be racist; only white people can be, and especially if they are English.
Rate me negatively all you like, but it doesn't change facts.”
by Kohelet
Thursday, February 09 2012, 8:23PM
“by siapro
Thursday, February 9 2012, 11:46PM
."leicguy is spot on. It's just the liberal left wing anti white brigade trying to make out that the Police are racist.
Were not any of the Black/asian people who were stopped & searched , stopped by any black/asian Police Officers then?"
.
Unlikley as black/asian are massivly unrepresented in the force”
by DonHenson
Thursday, February 09 2012, 7:18PM
“The statistics show that you are more likely to be stopped and searched, be arrested, charged and receive a heavier sentence if you are black or asian. Nothing to do with the crime committed.
Some years ago a disabled asian friend of mine had a new black VW Golf and was stopped, for DWBIANC (driving whilst black in a new car),. He was a law abiding citizen, driving legally (I say that because I was in the car with him at the time and can vouch for it) but it was suggested that he was driving too fast and erratically. As the time was 5.30pm and we were on the Hinckley Road in Leicester it would have been an interesting one to take to court...”
by llamalamb
Thursday, February 09 2012, 5:30PM
“As a white teenager growing up in Leicestershire during the late 60s and early 70s I was regularly stopped and searched by the police without any good reason. It was just a fact of life, it wasn't pleasant but we didn't complain either in case they turned nasty. I was always a law abiding citizen and would never have had anything for the cops to find, but that didn't seem to make any difference.”
by emz_uk
Thursday, February 09 2012, 1:41PM
“Why is such a big deal made about the race of the people stopped and searched? Surely this was done as they were acting suspicious etc, regardless of race. Maybe a small proportion of it could have been because of their race, but i imagine officers are so worried about the repercussions of doing this that maybe there were just more Asian/Black people acting suspiciously around officers, whereas the groups of white "chavs" are being way more sneaky about it so not getting seen....
Maybe next time they should look at the ages of the people stopped and searched and try and find some discrimination in there, as I expect most of the results then would show that teenagers are being disciminated against too!”