Case Study: Evaluating the Stop and Search Process and its Issues

This case study delves into the stop and search process, a practice where police officers can stop and search individuals based on reasonable suspicion. It highlights the legal framework, particularly Section 60, which empowers officers in specific areas with recent violence. The analysis explores different perspectives, including public perception, media portrayal, and police views on crime reduction. Key issues identified include exploitation of minority groups, lack of recognition for victims, and increased time spent by police officers. Potential solutions involve improved police training on cultural sensitivity, development of reliable criteria for suspicion based on behavior rather than race, and adherence to legal guidelines to ensure fair justice. The study emphasizes the importance of ending racial bias and treating all individuals with respect to achieve positive outcomes from the stop and search process. Desklib provides a platform for students to access this and other solved assignments.

Case Study Analysis
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Contents
CASE STUDY- STOP AND SEARCH.....................................................................................3
KNOWLEDGE..........................................................................................................................3
ISSUES......................................................................................................................................5
SOLUTION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................8
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CASE STUDY- STOP AND SEARCH
The case study is based on the stop and search process. The stop and search process is
being determined as the process under which the Police officer and the (PCSO) Police
community support officer has the power of stopping the random person and can start
searching of the person. Only, the police officer has the power in this context and they can
start the quick search of the person (Lennon and Murray, 2018). However, before starting the
quick search police officer must show their identity to the civilians so, the people can be
aware about the fact that, the person who is searching is a police officer.
Furthermore, another major attribute that is aligned with this process is that, the person
who have been stopped by the police officer must be given the strong reason and evidence for
conducting the quick searching to the specific person from all over public (Tiratelli, Quinton
and Bradford, 2018). The officer must behave in polite and respectful manner instead of
using harsh language. In case, the person does not show cooperation then only the actions can
be taken against the person.
Section 60 is the major attribute of stop and search process. Section 60 has been
implemented in the March 2019. This has been determined as the regulation that empowers
police officer for conducting stop and search process (Ashby, 2021). The regulation often
states that, stop and search process can be conducted in certain areas where recently serious
violence has been occurred. Those areas where is a threat to public in such areas, stop and
search process can be conducted by police officer.
Section 60 also states that before beginning of searching, the person must be given the
reason. The police officer looks for those items that can lead to create the violence and
creates threat for public. However, it has been stated that section 60 decreases the level of
authorisation which is mainly needed for the officer in order to deploy and extending the
regulation from the senior officers to the inspectors and to the superintendents as well
(Flacks, 2018).
KNOWLEDGE
Conducting the research over stop and search process depicts different perspectives and
these perspectives frames the crime and often provides knowledge about the crime. From the
perspective of public, the attitude and behaviour pattern of the police during the stop and
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search process requires to be changed (Hargreaves, 2018). The public believes that, the
person that has been stopped during the procedure must be treated with respect and before
starting searching strong and valid reason needs to be given to the person (Vernon and Lynn,
2021). The perception from the public point of view depicts that the behaviour and attitude of
the police at the time of searching reflects the image of police and often influence the trust
level and confidence of public in police.
Another perspective is aligned with the perception of media and it plays significant role.
The media shows the crime related news in such manner that leads to create fear in public.
Thus, media creates the crime fiction over the platform in such manner that attracts the public
and often creates myths in them (Hargreaves, 2018). However, police conducts stop and
search process with complete dignity then also, media will lead to show this in negative
manner that would result in impacting the trust level of public towards police.
The next perception in regards to the stop and search process is entitled with the
perspectives of police officer themselves. Stop and search process plays crucial role in crime
reduction as with the help of this criminal can be spotted from the public area and the extent
of crime can be reduced (Deuchar, Miller and Densley, 2019). Stop and search process has
impacted the power of police in positive manner. From the police perception, stop and search
process is enabling them to perform fast action and reducing the level of crimes in the
society. However, many people are against this process but the fact is that it results in
decreasing the serious crimes that creates threat for public (Ariel and Bland, 2019). The
section 60 has been introduced especially for those places where the crime occurs on
consistent basis and major issues is being created for public. However, public believes that
stop and search process reflects the less morals and values towards the person who have been
stopped. In real, the section 60 protects the public from the serious crimes and threats (Birks,
Coleman and Jackson, 2020).
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ISSUES
In the UK, crimes were increasing in streets and main markets and as per the law,
police did not have power to ask people as from where they are and even cannot arrest them
without any evidence. It was great opportunities for criminals as they can roam here and there
as they know that police cannot arrest them without any evidence. But now for protecting
people from crimes and criminals, as per the vagrancy act 1824, police officers were given a
power to stop and search people if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that people may
commit crimes (Aston, Murray and O’neill, 2021). Some reasonable grounds of this stop and
search campaign include: weapon, illegal drugs and something sharp that can be used to
commit crimes. Arrest rate has improved since 2010 but never been above 20%
The main reason of developing this campaign was: to protect public by preventing crimes and
improving public confidence in police services. But this campaign created number of issues
that include:
Exploitation with Minority and ethnic people: People from minority felt that they are the
first target of police officers. They think that police officers are taking undue advantages of
this power as anytime they stop them and ask multiple questions in front of others. It made
them feel that only because of their ethnicity, they are being targeted and it made them feel
terrorist. It decreased their trust on police officers and other people. White ethnic group also
stated that in order to complete target number, police officers stopped them and asked
questions for filling form.
Figure 1: Search Rate by Ethnicity
Sources: (Brown, 2022, Police Powers: Stop and Search)
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In regard to this, it can be said that police officers were targeting specifically minority group
of people and it resulted the absence of reasonable suspects. There is an evidence of this
allegation and it is known as: George Floyd (46-year-old man), who was killed in police
custody. He was brutally killed and after this case, all police officers were fired but the
question is: why police officers arrested him and why he was killed. So, on this basis, it can
be said that this campaign increased issue of exploitation. In total arrested people, nothing
was found in around 87.5% of cases. Overall, it can be said that it has negative impact on
minority group of community people.
Lack of recognition of victims were other impacts. On the basis of data, uploaded on
sites, it can be said that only few people were associated with criminal records. Most of the
suspected people were innocent and it made them feel de-valued. Many people said that
people arrested them in front of others with the power of stop and search and now they are
facing problems in staying in community in an effective manner (Fleetwood and Lea, 2022).
People see them with bad eyes as they feel that they have some criminal records. So, it has
affected their morale and living. It increased time of police officers.
SOLUTION
On the basis of above discussed issues, it can be said that police officers should need to make
reliable criteria on which basis they can stop and search people or they can suspect people.
All investigation should be based on section 1 of police and criminal act so that it can give
fair justice to people.
Training and education: As it is known that BME people were the most likely to be stopped
as suspicious. So, in this regard, it can be suggested to police department that it should
provide training to police officers. They need to be made aware about ethnicity and cultural
values. Police officers need to know that all people are same for them whether they belong to
black culture or white culture (Vomfell and Stewart, 2021). Suspecting people on the basis of
their unfavourable behaviour, set criteria rather on the basis of racism is important.
Development of criteria and laws: By developing specific and reliable law and encourage
police officers to follow all rules, all problems related to this campaign can be decreased. By
abiding all rules, police offer can suspect and arrest people on some valid ground and it will
not make ethnic group of people feel de-valued. People should be arrested in polite and
effective way rather brutally.
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Ending racial bias and treating all cultures of people in a fair manner is one of the main
solution by which positive outcomes of this stop and search can be gained.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ariel, B. and Bland, M., 2019. Is crime rising or falling? A comparison of police-recorded
crime and victimization surveys. In Methods of criminology and criminal justice
research. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Ashby, M., 2021. Stop and search in London: January to December 2020.
Aston, E., Murray, K. and O’neill, M., 2021. Achieving cultural change through
organizational justice: The case of stop and search in Scotland. Criminology &
criminal justice, 21(1), pp.40-56.
Birks, D., Coleman, A. and Jackson, D., 2020. Unsupervised identification of crime problems
from police free-text data. Crime Science. 9(1). pp.1-19.
Deuchar, R., Miller, J. and Densley, J., 2019. The lived experience of stop and search in
Scotland: there are two sides to every story. Police Quarterly. 22(4). pp.416-451.
Flacks, S., 2018. The stop and search of minors: A ‘vital police tool’?. Criminology &
criminal justice. 18(3). pp.364-384.
Fleetwood, J. and Lea, J., 2022. Defunding the police in the UK: Critical questions and
practical suggestions. The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice.
Hargreaves, J., 2018. Police stop and search within british muslim communities: Evidence
from the crime survey 2006–11. The British Journal of Criminology. 58(6). pp.1281-
1302.
Hargreaves, J., 2018. Police stop and search within british muslim communities: Evidence
from the crime survey 2006–11. The British Journal of Criminology. 58(6). pp.1281-
1302.
Lennon, G. and Murray, K., 2018. Under-regulated and unaccountable? Explaining variation
in stop and search rates in Scotland, England and Wales. Policing and Society.
28(2). pp.157-174.
Scrase, S., 2021. Re-Thinking Procedural Justice Theory Through Stop and Search: Shame,
Anger, and Police Legitimacy. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 15(2),
pp.1476-1490.
Tiratelli, M., Quinton, P. and Bradford, B., 2018. Does stop and search deter crime? Evidence
from ten years of London-wide data. The British Journal of Criminology. 58(5).
pp.1212-1231.
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Vernon, P.B. and Lynn, T.J., 2021. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Stops: Race and
the Perception of Bias. Journal of Law and Criminal Justice. 9(1). pp.180-194.
Vomfell, L. and Stewart, N., 2021. Officer bias, over-patrolling and ethnic disparities in stop
and search. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(5), pp.566-575.
Online
Brown, J., 2022. Police Powers: Stop and Search. [ONLINE]. Available Through
<https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03878/SN03878.pdf>
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