Greater scrutiny of police stop and search powers – led by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis – has been backed by a national report.
The report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) says that police often fail to understand the impact of stop and search on individuals and have been slow to improve the use of these powers.
Last month, the Ethics, Transparency and Audit Panel (ETAP) – launched under the ‘New Dawn of Transparency’ agenda by Matthew Ellis – called for greater consistency in the way stop and search is recorded in Staffordshire. It said transparency could be enhanced further through the regular use of bodycams by officers to provide a clear record of each encounter.
The Commissioner asked the panel to carry out a comprehensive review of how ‘stop and search’ is used by police in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Panel members scrutinised stop and search records to make sure the powers are being used appropriately, that individuals who are stopped are properly informed of their rights and that the reasons for using stop and search are clearly recorded. They published their report in February at http://www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/eta/
Meanwhile, Safer Neighbourhood Panels – local versions of the ETAP which meet for the first time in Cannock, Staffordshire Moorlands and South Staffordshire this week – will carry out more local scrutiny of stop and search.
Mr Ellis said: “Stop and search is an important police power but can seriously harm public confidence in the police when used wrongly. Because of this, it was an obvious area for the ETAP to scrutinise to make sure stop and search is being used appropriately in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
“As well as freeing up thousands of extra hours of frontline policing across Staffordshire each week, the roll-out of mobile data technology which starts next month will also mean that all stop and search encounters can be recorded digitally.
“Providing the ETAP with wide-ranging and rigorous powers to examine such crucial areas of policing means police accountability is stronger than ever before.
“Localising the ETAP through Safer Neighbourhood Panel will make this scrutiny even tougher as local people will hold those responsible for policing in their area to account on stop and search and give feedback to their community.”
Assistant Chief Constable Bernie O’Reilly, from Staffordshire Police, said: “The use of stop and search is an important tactic for our officers dealing with local crime issues, but it’s also vital that our communities have confidence that we are using it in a fair and proportionate way. This is why we welcome the scrutiny of the Ethics, Transparency and Audit Panel (ETAP).
“In addition, addressing the findings in the ETAP report, we continue to develop our processes, officer training and policies to address the issues highlighted under the Home Office’s Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme.”
To find out more about being part of a Safer Neighbourhood Panel visit http://www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/safer-neighbourhood-panels/
