This resource is from the Issues section. This page contains information relevant to the Stop & Search Scrutiny, with links to all relevant pages on the MPA website and elsewhere.

Sections available here:

• Stop and Search
  • Stop and Search Review Board
  • Stop and Search Review Board

Stop and Search

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) published its Stop and Search Scrutiny report in May 2004, making 55 recommendations.

Stop and Search Review Board

The Board oversees implementation of the recommendations of the Stop and Searchb Scrutiny on Metropolitan Police Service Stop and Search Practice on behalf of the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB).

Membership

• John Roberts (Chair)
• Damian Hockney
• Cindy Butts
• Peter Herbert
• Joanne McCartney

Meeting agenda and minutes

For copies of meeting agendas and minutes please contact the MPA.

Terms of reference

Purpose

• To lead implementation of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) Scrutiny on Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Stop and Search Practice on behalf of Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB).
• To scrutinise progress by the MPS against the 32 scrutiny recommendations for which they have responsibility on behalf of EODB.
• To lead implementation of the 25 recommendations involving engagement with statutory and voluntary partners, on behalf of EODB.

Accountability

• The board is a sub-group of EODB and works on its behalf to lead implementation of the scrutiny recommendations.
• The MPS will report to the board on any aspect of its response to the scrutiny recommendations. Any issues, which the board cannot resolve, will be referred to EODB for decision. The board will report to EODB through written and verbal updates at committee.

The Board

• The board will hold public meetings monthly.
• Board meetings will be structured to ensure part of each meeting will involve discussion with MPS colleagues and an external agency referenced in the scrutiny report.
• The board will seek to involve witnesses to the scrutiny in order to track improvement.

Stop and Search Review Board

Background

Black, Asian and people from other minority ethnic groups are far more likely than white people to be stopped and searched by police officers. This is an interpretation that has been reported in Home Office research studies using data collected by police services. The research shows that such ‘disproportionality’ is also widening. The MPA set up a scrutiny to ask ‘Why?’

The MPA shares the concern of many people/groups in the community who are deeply concerned with disproportionality and that this may suggest that stop and search is unfairly applied. Many other statutory agencies, including police services themselves, are examining this issue. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry reported that stop and search, in particular, had created divisions between the police and community and set out recommendations for dealing with this.

There have been a lot of other studies on disproproportionality in stop and search, the MPA’s focus was on whether stop and search is being used effectively towards deterring and solving crime in London or whether bias in racial attitudes within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is largely to account for the disproportionality. The terms of reference are available here.

The scrutiny was a form of a ‘policy review’. It provided an opportunity for invited witnesses from the MPS, communities and external organisations to set out their perspective. The scrutiny used a mix of research and evidence hearings. An integral part of the scrutiny was to understand the response and performance of the MPS against the benchmarks and yardsticks set by the MPS. The scrutiny required officials and stakeholders to account for themselves to an MPA panel and provide them with an opportunity to submit written evidence. It sought to bring to light facts and opinions that are frequently hidden from view.

The MPA panel was formed from MPA members and other nominated representatives from community groups. The Chair of the Panel was Cecile Wright, who was also Chair of the MPA’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board. The Board sponsored the scrutiny.

Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel - terms of reference

The terms of reference for the scrutiny were:

1. The use of profiling and intelligence led approaches with stop and search.
   Specifically the scrutiny could look at:
   • The grounds for suspicion that most commonly lead police officers to carry out a stop and search.
   • The extent to which police intelligence informs the use of stop and search.
   • The quality of information and intelligence given to operational officers
   • Whether the systems for providing officers with intelligence information are monitored and evaluated for effectiveness.
   • Whether geographical patterns of local crime patterns reflect the use of stop and search in each area.
   • Whether certain behaviours, attitudes or activities by people of different racial groups are likely to increase police suspicion/intuition that leads to stop and search.
   • The relationship between suspect profiling and stop and search.
2. To assess what use is made of stop and search data
   Specifically the scrutiny could look at:
   • The extent to which the findings from stop and search inform police intelligence.
   • The quality of the searches that are made and whether these assist police intelligence.
3. To identify the cost effectiveness of stop and search
   Specifically the scrutiny could look at:
   • What are the direct financial costs of stop and search and the indirect costs in terms of public trust and confidence?
   • The positive outcomes that stop and search achieve?
4. The use of stop and search performance data to inform and engage communities.
   Specifically the scrutiny could look at:
   • Examples of good practice that are already underway, such as in Lambeth, Westminster and Hackney.
   • Changes needed to improve trust and confidence.
   • How widely is stop and search supported in the community?
   • Samples of communication strategies in place specifically to inform the community on stop and search.

The following are available as PDF documents.

• Stop and Search Scrutiny report

Portable Document Format (PDF) files require Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download from Adobe.

The following pages on the MPA website are relevant:

• Go Wisely Stop and Search DVD
• Stop and Search leaflet
• Stops and Searches Monitoring Mechanism training manual
• Recommendation 61
• A Community Evaluation of Recommendation 61 - Hackney