POLICE DISCRETION POSSIBLY CAUSING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN STOP AND SEARCH
A report by Wesley and Kathleen revealed that black individuals were six times more likely to be stopped and searched under s1 PACE powers compared with White individuals, Mixed ethnic groups and Asian groups were just over times more likely to be stopped and searched than White persons.
Section 60 (s60) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 gives police the right to search persons in a defined area at a specific time when they believe, with good reason; that there is the possibility of serious violence; that a person is carrying a dangerous object or offensive weapon; or that an incident involving serious violence has taken place and a dangerous instrument or offensive weapon used in the incident is being carried in the locality.
The ethnic breakdown of s60 stops and searches changed between 2007/2008 and 2011/2012, with the most notable change between 2007/2008 and 2008/2009; 65% of s60 stops and searches in 2007/2008 were of white persons. This fell to a low of 31% in 2010/2011 and rose to 35% in 2011/2012. By contrast, there was an increase in the proportion of s60 stops and searches of …show more content…
43 of the TA a constable is expected to have reasonable grounds of suspicion for stopping and searching an individual. Unlike s.1 PACE, once reasonable grounds are established he may search the person to find whether he is in his possession of anything that constitute evidence that he is a terrorist and seize and retain anything found on that individual (s43(4)). Also under section 44 (s44) of the Terrorism Act 2000 , police forces were able to carry out stops and searches within a particular area during an agreed period without the need of reasonable suspicion, subject to confirmation by the Home Secretary within a 48-hour period. The majority of those police forces that regularly authorized the use of s44 ceased, using the power30 following the Home Secretary’s
A report by Wesley and Kathleen revealed that black individuals were six times more likely to be stopped and searched under s1 PACE powers compared with White individuals, Mixed ethnic groups and Asian groups were just over times more likely to be stopped and searched than White persons.
Section 60 (s60) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 gives police the right to search persons in a defined area at a specific time when they believe, with good reason; that there is the possibility of serious violence; that a person is carrying a dangerous object or offensive weapon; or that an incident involving serious violence has taken place and a dangerous instrument or offensive weapon used in the incident is being carried in the locality.
The ethnic breakdown of s60 stops and searches changed between 2007/2008 and 2011/2012, with the most notable change between 2007/2008 and 2008/2009; 65% of s60 stops and searches in 2007/2008 were of white persons. This fell to a low of 31% in 2010/2011 and rose to 35% in 2011/2012. By contrast, there was an increase in the proportion of s60 stops and searches of …show more content…
43 of the TA a constable is expected to have reasonable grounds of suspicion for stopping and searching an individual. Unlike s.1 PACE, once reasonable grounds are established he may search the person to find whether he is in his possession of anything that constitute evidence that he is a terrorist and seize and retain anything found on that individual (s43(4)). Also under section 44 (s44) of the Terrorism Act 2000 , police forces were able to carry out stops and searches within a particular area during an agreed period without the need of reasonable suspicion, subject to confirmation by the Home Secretary within a 48-hour period. The majority of those police forces that regularly authorized the use of s44 ceased, using the power30 following the Home Secretary’s