461 - (FREE TO READ) Stop and search / Part 3
Personal experiences and viewpoints on the use of these powers and their potential for conflict continues...
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Please find the previous two posts in this series below.
Part one here:
Part two here:
Part 3
Opinion two / Background: Police officer
“Hi Jethro,
Hope this finds you well. I am going to attempt to answer your questions whilst I sit in stationary traffic due to motorway closure (accident).
1) What is the procedure for stop and search and how is this learned, refined and conducted from a professional position?
There is a procedure for stop and search and this is taught during initial training to all officers, not only in the classroom covering the legislation but also in scenarios so can be linked to other skills.
The procedural part covers such things as:
Grounds - what actually constitutes grounds to search (just a hunch is not enough), I remember being told many years ago by my trainer that the use of stop and search was so that we didn't have to arrest everyone so your grounds should be that strong.
Object- what are you actually looking for? This has an impact on the extent of the search as the officer would be pressed if they searched a pocket for example if it was obvious that the item could not fit in it.
Warrant card - should the officer not be readily identifiable (in uniform) then identification is to be shown
Identification- the officer should give their name and collar number so identifying them for future correspondence ( I was stopped by an officer but I don't know how to get in touch as I don't know their name/number). That said there are certain circumstances when only collar numbers are to be used and no name.
Station - where is the officer from/based
Legal - what power is actually being used by the officer
You are detained - might seem obvious but in actuality telling the person this actually allows the officer to use other powers in order to complete the search (use of handcuffs as an example).
All of these are remembered by the numonic GOWISELY.
The last bit is to inform the person that they are entitled to a written record of the search.
Refining this is covered through updates when there's a change in powers or procedures (either national or local).
2) What was your first experience of actioning this like? Did it conform to the training? Feelings, problems, successes, concerns, and so on.
I will be honest I don't actually remember the first time I did a search, lost in the mists of time I do remember that I had a mentor and he was a stickler for doing it correctly so that there was no grounds for the individual to complain.
I had many concerns conducting searches normally when I was alone searching more than one person - positioning so able to see all of them, how to search one but still observe the others; how long for backup if needed.
I had successes, not as many as I would have liked ( by the time you stop the car - might have to turn it around first and get out to engage with the person), they have enough time to run and discard any items.
I did stop an individual once in the early hours and his behaviour- evasive body language and his explanation as to why he was there just didn't add up, so a search revealed a balaclava and firearm (automatic pistol), he was on his way to rob an all-night garage!
3) Your feelings when you see the criticisms about stop and search in various sources?
I have Mixed emotions when I hear people criticising the use of the Stop and Search Powers
It is a good power and I think most people who live in a society that want law and order understand that it has a place. I think (my personal opinion) the problems occur when officers don't use it correctly and that can be due to many factors and lack of understanding by the public which can be put in part due to Forces not communicating and explaining to communities. Most misunderstandings come from a lack of communication.
4) Do you feel the policy has a prejudiced agenda?
My personal opinion is whilst some individuals will always say that there's an agenda as that suits their own agenda, if you are saying for example that 70% of people stopped are of a particular ethnicity in an area where the population is 70% that ethnicity then that is not prejudice it is simply statistics. I have never seen it.
I remember one time I had an individual who did say that they had only been stopped due to their colour (there were many instances of such comments).
My response was to point out that some of my colleagues were dealing with another individual 20ft away who was of a different ethnicity but when asked what was similar my individual replied "he's wearing a jacket just like mine ". He then accepted that him being stopped was due to his jacket and not his ethnicity!
5) Have you ever experienced it being used as such by another colleague?
I haven't seen it by a colleague, although what I have seen is officers conducting searches with little grounds in order to submit lots of forms as they thought it would make them look busy/good to managers.
6) What are the desired outcomes from a police point of view of scheduling searches, are there targets associated?
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7) one positive and one negative outcome example of performing a search(es) and your overarching feelings regarding the policy.
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8) Anything else you would wish to add?
Throughout my career, I always conducted searches with the thought that if this individual was a member of my family how would I want them to be spoken to/treated? I suppose that in a 30-year career, I only had one complaint with regard to searches (which was dismissed) says that I must have been doing something right.
There were times when I had to explain to colleagues that how they spoke to people might be the cause of the problems they were experiencing.
This normally occurred with a colleague who had transferred from a larger force, they were used to having a quick response from colleagues should they need assistance (one transferee said "Our gangs bigger than theirs!).
Explaining that if we requested assistance we could be waiting between 10 and 40 minutes for maybe a couple of officers quickly changed their communication with members of the public! I certainly learned to talk to people!”
End of part three.