London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Stop and search: Ethnic minorities unfairly targeted by police - watchdog

Stop and search: Ethnic minorities unfairly targeted by police - watchdog

Police need to end the overuse of stops and searches on black and ethnic minorities, a watchdog has said.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is calling for guidelines that protect minorities from being stopped due to stereotypes and racial bias.

Its report raised the case of a black boy who said he was searched more than 60 times between the ages of 14 and 16.

Searches handled insensitively could leave people "humiliated and victimised", it said.

The watchdog has made 18 suggestions for change to police forces in England and Wales.

Stop and search is the power given to police to search an individual if they have "reasonable grounds" to suspect the person is carrying illegal drugs, a weapon, stolen property, or something which could be used to commit a crime.

Another case highlighted in the report involved a 15-year-old black boy who was stopped because he smelled of cannabis and was in a high crime area - video showed the boy being punched and kicked by an officer. No drugs were found and the officer was later found guilty of assault.

Black people were seven times more likely to be searched than white people in the year ending March 2021.

People from an Asian or mixed ethnic background were about two-and-a-half times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people.

The IOPC said although stop and search was a legitimate policing tactic, it was time to "break the cycle" of a disproportionate use of stop and search which was causing "trauma" and damaging confidence in policing.

Sal Naseem, the IOPC's lead on discrimination, warned: "It cannot be underestimated how traumatic a stop-and-search encounter can be on an individual.

"If carried out insensitively, a person can be left feeling humiliated and victimised.

"The experience can also be the first interaction for some young adults and if it is a negative one, this can have a lasting impact on that person and the trust they put in the police."

The powers have been described as an important tool in dealing with knife crime and drugs


Among the IOPC review's recommendations were calls for the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs' Council to create guidelines on how to protect people from ethnic minorities from being stopped and searched because of "decision-making based upon assumptions, stereotypes and racial bias."

It also recommended the bodies along with the Home Office commission research into the trauma caused to black and Asian people by stop and search.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said police have not always "got the balance right" with stop and search.

Amanda Pearson, a deputy assistant commissioner with the Met police who is the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for stop and search, said: "We recognise that the level of disproportionality in a tactic like stop and search is continuing to damage relations with people from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that we balance tackling crime with building trust and confidence in our communities, and we haven't always got that balance right with stop and search.

"We acknowledge the IOPC's recommendations and we will work together with the College of Policing to support forces in getting the balance right."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×