THE POLICE WATCHDOG has called for an overhaul of stop and search laws to crack down on racial disparities.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) says that cops should not use the smell of cannabis being a lone reason to conduct stop and searches on people.

They also say that the smell of cannabis should not lead officers to assume a person is in possession of cannabis. 

De-escalation tactics used by the police also came under scrutiny where “insufficient and poor-quality communication” and the use of handcuffs by officers was blamed for causing anxiety and resistance from people, and instead cautioned the use of other forms of de-escalation.

The IOPC have put forward 18 recommendations aimed at improving policing practice and building back confidence in black communities across England and Wales.

Following data from reviews and independent investigations, the report said that its aim is to safeguard people from black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds who have been subjected to stop and search powers due to stereotyping and bias. 

In the year ending March 2021, people from a black or black British background were found to be seven times more likely to be stopped and searched than those from a white background.

People from an Asian or Asian British background, or mixed ethnic background, were also two and half times more likely to be stopped and searched in comparison to their white counterparts.

In one shocking case outlined by the report, a police officer had stopped a 15-year-old black child on suspicion
of being involved in drug dealing because he smelled of cannabis. video footage later showed captured the officer punching and then kicking the child after he fell on the ground. No drugs were found.

Since 2018, the police watchdog has collected data from appeals that has found that when used correctly stop and search procedures can be a “useful component” of policing, but added that police forces in England and Wales needed to strive to work better with affected communities and build trust.

The NPCC and College of Policing are recommended to work together to develop guidelines on how to safeguard black, Asian or other minority ethnic people from experiencing the disproportionate use of force in the police response during stops and searches due to racial biases. 

They also suggested commissioning research about the trauma caused from the disproportionate targeting these communities from the police.

Sal Naseem, IOPC lead on discrimination, said it was time to “break the cycle” of the abuse of police powers against marginalised communities. 

“We are concerned about the impact of stop and search on ethnic minority groups, in particular the negative effect it can have on public confidence in policing,” he said. 

“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. It is time to break the cycle.

“The challenge for police forces is to build bridges with those in communities who feel marginalised so those same people feel confident in coming to the police when needed.”