News & events
28-10-2014
Newham Monitoring Project - Stop and Search on Trial
You may already have heard that Netpol steering group member Newham Monitoring Project (NMP) is trying to crowdfund a project to monitor the implementation in east London of the government's new stop & search 'code of conduct'. There are many reasons why this campaign is urgent and necessary right now. In the year to August 2014, more than 91,000 people were stopped and 42,567 were searched in the six boroughs NMP works in. In five of the six individual boroughs, there were more searches than in the whole of the area covered by Essex Police during 2012-13.
However, during the 12 months to the end of August, there were just 68 complaints across all six boroughs - and the numbers of people complaining have declined enormously. Based on its casework NMP believes this is because people are extremely reluctant to make a complaint, in part because the process is frustratingly slow, complicated and weighed heavily in favour of the police, and partly out of fear of subsequent intimidation.
Even the government acknowledges something is very wrong with stop and search. That is why it has introduced reforms including a 'community trigger' - a level of complaints above which the police must explain their use of stop and search powers.
However, does anyone really believe 68 complaints out of 42,567 searches - 80% of which led to no arrest - genuinely reflects public concerns about the way these powers are used? Without the kind of specialist support NMP has offered since 1980, there is little prospect of more people finding the confidence to complain about their treatment on the streets.
If you can support the crowdfunding campaign, please make a pledge at NMP's Crowdfunder page at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stops-on-trial/
Even the government acknowledges something is very wrong with stop and search. That is why it has introduced reforms including a 'community trigger' - a level of complaints above which the police must explain their use of stop and search powers.
However, does anyone really believe 68 complaints out of 42,567 searches - 80% of which led to no arrest - genuinely reflects public concerns about the way these powers are used? Without the kind of specialist support NMP has offered since 1980, there is little prospect of more people finding the confidence to complain about their treatment on the streets.
If you can support the crowdfunding campaign, please make a pledge at NMP's Crowdfunder page at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stops-on-trial/