I am no stranger to the realities of racism within the police force – I served in it for thirty years. So, although disappointed, I wasn’t surprised to see the latest stats showing that Black people are six times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. Stops are going up, and arrests remain very low.
Stop and search is an unevidenced, ineffective practice which puts thousands of people a year in potentially harmful interactions with the police, and erodes trust in public institutions. I’m even more disappointed that rather than finding better alternatives, this policy is being expanded further, branching out into protests through new Government proposals. This will discourage many people from standing up for what they believe in, and it’ll have an even greater effect on people of colour on whom these tactics fall hardest.
