A new report into Greater Manchester Police’s stop and search policy has found serious misgivings with the way it is used by the force.
The 20 August study, by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), recommends that more needs to be done to improve public confidence in the use of the power.
Stop and search is still one of the most contentious issues in police-public relations in Salford, especially among young people.
A police officer has powers to stop and search you if they have ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect you’re carrying drugs, a weapon, stolen property or something which could be used to commit a crime, like a crowbar.
The letter of the law adds that you don’t have to be put under arrest to be searched but the police can use ‘reasonable force’ if you have been given the chance to co-operate, and refuse.
You can only be stopped and searched without reasonable grounds if it has been approved by a senior police officer.
The HMIC report recognises that advances had been made since 2013, especially in engaging the public, offering opportunities to go out on patrol with officers where stop and search might be used.
But it also found evidence that the powers were being poorly recorded, or in some cases, misused.
“When we spoke to police officers in Greater Manchester Police we found little knowledge of the existence of a policy on stop and search and, where knowledge did exist, there was little awareness of the content,” it said, adding, “we found many examples of supervisors reviewing and signing stop and search records that clearly did not include a description of reasonable grounds for suspicion.”
One example of reasonable grounds for suspicion, recorded as ‘Parked in a remote car park after dark’ was signed off by senior managers.
There are two clear points here. One is the principle of infringing the rights of the person to go about their daily business without complaint.
The second is that, as GMP put it: “Asking individuals to account for their presence or behaviour is an important part of everyday policing.”
If you have nothing to hide, why be worried?
Those who have never been stopped and searched – and most never will be – are perhaps unaware of how invasive it can be.
Paul Fraser (not his real name) was waiting to use a cashpoint near Fallowfield McDonalds in December 2008 when he was approached by police sniffer dog.
The 46-year-old council worker was smoking a roll-up cigarette when two officers walked up with the dog and asked if he had any drugs on him.
Paul said no, and the officers explained they were going to search him.
“They walked me to a police car where two more officers were waiting and I just turned out my pockets,” he told SalfordOnline.com.
“A drug detection dog had apparently indicated I had drugs in my possession.
“They found nothing, so they gave me a paper slip indicating nothing had been found and no further action would be taken.”
A week later Paul was at the same cash machine when he was again stopped and searched.
“The same officer stopped me and searched me again as a person who had been indicated to be in possession of drugs on a previous occasion. Again he found nothing.
“They were friendly, polite and professional so I did not kick up a fuss about being searched.”
Not all instances are so benign, says local youth worker Jane Gregory.
Jane, a coach with Barr Hill Junior Football Club in Irlams o’th Height for the past 12 years, has heard scores of complaints from teenagers about the police.
She says in the past her sons, then 14 and 15, were regularly stopped and searched by officers, breeding mistrust and resentment between the family and police.
“Both of them looked young for their age,” said Jane.
“They were stopped and searched on at least four occasions while with groups of friends, usually walking to the shop, by a van-load of police Tactical Aid Unit officers.
“Never once were they given the paperwork or told why they were being stopped, other than, ‘You are in a group’, when gathering like that was considered anti-social behaviour.
“Young people where I live, which is Claremont, don’t like the police or PCSOs. There have been occasions when they have been verbally and even physically abused by police.
“At age 14 my son was rammed into shutters by a female officer, and a number of his mates the same. There had been a fight in Monton and they were nearby so were spoken to. On that occasion, they weren’t searched.
“I didn’t know the procedure or what their rights were until I studied police powers when I went back to college to get an A-Level in Law, but I definitely informed my kids for the next time. Luckily there was never a next time. ”
A 2013 HMIC survey of people who had been stopped and searched found that 47 per cent of respondents felt the police had not treated them with respect, 44 per cent said police had not acted reasonably and 39 per cent said their experience had lowered their opinion of the police.
Today it criticised GMP for failing to be proactive in recording complaints over stop and search.
“In the main, there is still a reliance on low complaint numbers to justify why so little work has been done to establish why people feel dissatisfied about the manner in which they were stopped and searched, and to use that information to improve practices and strengthen public trust.”
“The force has recognised that it needs to question why no one complains but, as yet, has taken little or no action to find out.”
It also recommended more training for officers in the correct use of stop and search, and involving members of the community to scrutinising the use of the power.
Responding to the report, Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said he hoped a new smartphone app launched today to give people an easier way to complain would help solve the problem.
“When used correctly it is a useful tool to keep communities safe, but when used wrongly it can damage communities, impacting on public confidence in their local police,” he said.
“I have heard many stories from people, particularly young people, who feel they have been unfairly stopped and searched or are unhappy with how the officer has treated them – this must not happen.
“I am determined to ensure that GMP uses this power fairly, respectfully and proportionately and there have been improvements, as HMIC recognises.”
