Summary
STOP and search was always a controversial police tactic that was used disproportionately in the case of young black men. But after the failed attempt to bomb a London night club in 2007, the police powers to stop and search individuals without reasonable suspicion were used far more widely, as allowed under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, in order to combat terrorism rather than crime. As a result, police targeted many Muslims as well as black youths. Yet it yielded few real results, certainly not proportionate to the amount of vexation it caused people simply going about their normal business.
Now the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, John Yates, has yielded to criticism of the tactic, particularly from the Government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Lord Carlile. He believes that section 44 is overused. Under new plans, police would stop and search people only where there is reasonable suspicion that they are involved in terrorist activity. However, police will still be able to stop and search in critical areas, such as near Parliament, and in big railway stations or where people gather in large numbers.See the full content of this document
Extract
Police Tactics Need Reform
This is a sens...
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