Met Police Urged to Adopt Softer Approach in Stop and Search Relaunch

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The Metropolitan Police have been advised to adopt a “less aggressive” stance when carrying out stop and search procedures as the force unveils a revised strategy aimed at tackling weapons and drug-related crime in London. The new approach comes as senior officers acknowledge that while knife crime remains a pressing issue, the number of street searches has declined by nearly 20 per cent in the past year.  

 

Concerns over high-profile stop and search incidents have led to frontline officers facing misconduct allegations, with some stating they feel uneasy using their powers for fear of career-damaging complaints. In response, a newly developed stop and search charter, crafted in collaboration with both police officers and young people, seeks to improve the way searches are conducted. It emphasizes professionalism, the responsible use of technology, and a strengthened complaints system.  

 

Public feedback has underscored the need for a shift in police conduct, urging officers to approach searches with less aggression and avoid creating unnecessary tension. Londoners have advocated for more targeted and considerate searches to reduce the risk of embarrassment and trauma. The Met has committed to carrying out stop and search procedures with “professionalism, showing basic forms of respect,” stressing that officers must understand what it feels like to be subjected to a search.  

 

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan emphasized the urgency of addressing knife crime in the city. “One young person being stabbed on the streets of London is unacceptable. There are too many young black people being stabbed. Our job is to save lives and prevent people being injured but it’s also to do it in a way that garners community trust and confidence,” he said. “If the charter saves more lives as a result of more stop and search then I am happy to defend it. I’d rather have a conversation with a parent who has asked, ‘Can you come and engage with my son?’ than deliver a death message.”  

 

The creation of a stop and search charter was first recommended by Baroness Casey of Blackstock in her 2023 review of the Met, following a series of scandals that damaged public trust, including the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving firearms officer in 2021. Casey highlighted the need for a “fundamental reset” in how stop and search is conducted, criticizing many searches as being carried out “really rudely and horribly.” She advocated for independent monitoring of compliance with the charter, including reviewing police bodycam footage.  

 

Although the charter was initially set for release in October 2023, the Met continued its consultations and writing workshops into the following year to ensure a thorough review process. The force maintains that stop and search remains a vital policing tool, reporting that 17,500 weapons have been seized over the past four years through these efforts. Senior leaders argue that when performed correctly, stop and search prevents crime and protects communities. However, they acknowledge that when done poorly, it erodes trust among those the police are meant to serve.  

 

The relaunch of the policy comes as stop and search numbers in London fell by 17 per cent, with 120,783 searches conducted in the year leading up to January. Data shows that Black individuals accounted for 40 per cent of those searched, with drugs being the primary reason in 57 per cent of cases.  

 

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has defended the continued use of stop and search, asserting that much of London’s violence is connected to gangs and drugs. “Academics like to pretend that drug searches are done for one purpose and weapons searches are conducted for an entirely separate purpose — that’s a theoretical, desk-based analysis and not the real world,” he stated during a recent meeting at City Hall. “When drugs and weapons are so entwined, those searches are part of the same package of keeping our streets safe.”

 

Based on a report by The Telegraph  2025-02-28

 

 

[phil2407]

If you have nothing on you then let them frisk you - not frigging Einstein!