‘Ineffective and Discriminatory’: Boris Johnson Criticised for Stop and Search Plans

Charities have condemned government plans to formally expand stop and search powers to tackle rising youth violence, warning that it will simply aggravate a policy proven to unfairly target Black people. 

Shielding from pouring rain under an umbrella, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a set of measures under a new crime bill, which includes more surveillance of burglars and thieves, extra money for anti-violence units and, most controversially, making it easier for police to carry out blanket stop and searches in the wake of violent incidents. “What we’re announcing today is plans to back the police,” he said, “but also to back the public.” 

But critics argue that the changes to Section 60 stop and search powers – where police have the right to search people without reasonable grounds

for suspicion within a specific area when they believe violence is likely to or has taken place – would be ineffective in tackling violence, and that will only increase discrimination against Black people. 

“We know Section 60 is not effective for finding weapons,” Katrina Ffrench, director of UNJUST, which campaigns for fair policing, told VICE World News. She said that of 18,000 searches carried out under Section 60 last year, only around 250 people were found with weapons. 

“Any weapon off the street is good, but my concern is the 17,000 odd people who weren't involved in crime, because of that interaction with the police, will now be less likely to even report victims of crime or if they have information about a crime.”

Day to day stop and searches unfairly target Black people, particularly in London and Northern Ireland. Between March and June 2020, VICE World News found that stop and search powers in London had expanded, disproportionately affecting Black people. In May 2020 alone, stop and searches rose from 21,593 in May 2019 to 43,844 – equivalent to a 103 percent rise.

Emmanuelle Andrews, policy and campaigns officer at human rights charity Liberty, said: “We all want to feel safe in our communities, but expanding what have proven to be discriminatory police powers isn’t how we get there. 

“Many communities, particularly communities of colour, experience overbearing and oppressive policing and the package the government has put forward will only worsen this. It will subject more young people to further coercion, punishment and control. It will compound discrimination in Britain and divide communities.”

A spokesperson from anti-racism charity Runnymede told VICE World News that the new policies will ultimately be ineffective in tackling crime. “Increasing such powers does not address the root cause of crime and drives deeper mistrust toward the police from BME communities who already face the sharp end of the state’s security measures.”