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19.10.2010

StopWatch responds to 'Policing in the 21st century'

​StopWatch submitted a response to the government consultation document Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting the Police and the People.

Our response highlights a number of concerns in the proposals which the Home Secretary hails as “the most radical change to policing in 50 years”. StopWatch is concerned that:

  • The removal of the requirement to record “stops” was conducted without community consultation or community impact assessment. It may adversely affect communities whom the safeguard was put in place to protect.
  • The changes to “stop and search” made under the Crime and Security Act 2010 make it difficult for the police or communities to determine the effectiveness of the use of stop and search powers.
  • The proposed changes to “stop and search” recording outlined in this consultation document will damage effective monitoring of the power and undermine both internal and external accountability.
  • The Government’s review of section 44 counter-terrorism stop and search powers is welcome but the use of stop and search powers that do not require reasonable suspicion has increased sharply and will have a detrimental impact on trust and confidence in policing.

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