The figures are out, and its official, the amount of stop and searches carried out have increased by a third. Officers in 2006/7 carried out 1.8 million stop and searches. This is an astonishing rate which has increased further in a single year.
Stop and Search powers derive from the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, and allow the police the right to stop and search specific members of the public for weapons, drugs, stolen goods, terrorism and various other crimes. These are now widely used and are commonplace in police duties. They are however unrepresentative in their use as the powers of stop and search under this law are unfairly used. Figures released for 2006/7, also showed that Asian people were 2.2 times more likely to be Stop and Searched than a white person. Black people faired worse. The report showed that Black people are seven times more likely to be Stopped and Searched by police than a white person. Not just twice as likely, three times more likely but yes your read it correctly, they are SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY to be Stop and Searched. These figures again showed an increase on the previous year. The report outlined that the biggest increase in Stop and Searches came from the category of ‘in anticipation of violence’. This saw an alarming increase of 84% in the number of stop and searches under this power against black people alone.
These are shocking statistics to comprehend and what is more shocking is that these statistics went largely unnoticed by the national media. This obviously goes against the flavour of the day issue which at this current time is the ‘Knife Crime wave of attacks’ that is raging through our socially deprived areas. The British media need to be more balanced on this issue. Of course you need to highlight the knife crime attacks that are devastating the inner city community, but also highlight the social, economical and political factors that these communities face on a daily basis which lead to these atrocities. There is a failure by the media to highlight the deprivation, lack of opportunity and hope that these young people face. The media will press the government for a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ which will no doubt act as a plaster to the gaping wound. For a real solution to this there needs to be a far ranging debate on the issue of progression and attainment in education, job opportunities and skills training as well as racism and organised crime within all these communities. What is clear is that there is no easy fix to these situations, however unfairly targeting Black and Asian minorities is unacceptable, biased and unjust. Stop and Search procedures only breed hatred for the police, makes the targeted feel violated of their rights and is an obvious sign of institutionalised racism at its worst. It so obvious but no one wants to admit and the media will not highlight this.
The government are clearly not doing enough on this issue. Instead of dealing with the issues that are affecting the black and Asian communities, the Government chooses to clamp down on individual freedom, oppress those that are threatened and disregard civil liberties in the process. Why must the government seek to infringe on peoples civil liberties when it holds one of the world’s largest DNA databases in the world, many of which are innocent? Why must we succumb to this paranoia that is sweeping the nation like a contagious epidemic? It seems that you are guilty until proven innocent in this country. The UK needs to set an example to other countries but instead continues with its stealth stop and search procedures that target communities that already have deep reservations about the government and police.
The days of individual freedom are long gone. This is the era of ‘big brother’ surveillance and Parliamentary Paranoia. Everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted. Have we already reached this point in history when all faith in human nature is lost. This extreme right wing notion that human nature is inherently flawed, allows the media and the government to portray an image of society that is both pessimistic and in need of serious changes. Fear and pessimism in the psyche of society, give government the mandate to pass laws that violate civil liberties and give the police free reign to accuse suspects and ask questions later. This is a violation of our fundamental human rights which is at its core discriminatory questioning of minorities. Stop and Search however, is for the Government, an accepted way of dealing with overreaction to the media and is overtly unjustified especially considering the vast difference in stop and searches between the races. The media and government wonder why these communities feel like they are being side lined discriminated against and unfairly treated, when they themselves are the ones perpetrate social disintegrations themselves.
The Home Office are now proposing to cut the ‘red-tape’ by reducing the foot long form to a simple receipt. This would allow officers to carry out more Stop and Searches which could lead to a rapid increase in Black and Asian Stop and Searches. Rather than tackle the root causes of stereotyping, and institutionalised racism within the police. The Home Office proposes to make this process easier to carry out for officers and is literally endorsing this procedure, knowing full well that it will have a negative impact on Black and Asian Communities. The Home office should not be adding fuel to this debate, but must be seen to be tackling this overt discrimination carried out with using our taxes. Stereotyping and unjust targeting of communities is unfair but in this case is worse because it is being carried out by the very people that are supposed to protecting our rights and liberties. How can Black and Asian people have faith in the justice system and government when these public bodies place no trust I these communities, constantly infringe on their liberties and accuse them on racial grounds rather before any thing else. Stop the ‘stop and Search procedures’ because they are clearly not meeting the aim of their purpose. Stop the racism, stop the stereotyping and Stop the Searches.
