Community observers accompany officers carrying out stop and search

Community observers accompany officers carrying out stop and search

Police have been carrying out a range of activity in response to increased gang tensions and have been working with communiity representatives to ensure that police get the balance right when it comes to policing with the consent of the community in order to keep people safe.

Earlier in October community observers from the Haringey Stop and Search Monitoring Group accompanied local police officers from Haringey’s Priority Crime Team as the officers carried out patrols in response to increased gang tensions following a number of stabbings in the borough.

The officers were using the power of stop and search under Section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, not only to disrupt and apprehend anyone carrying a weapon, but, crucially, to deter the carrying of weapons.

While officers use stop and search to prevent the carrying of weapons, their work is supported by other tactics, such as weapon sweeps, during which officers search places for weapons that may have been hidden by those hoping to avoid detection by police carrying out stop and search.

 

Ken Hinds, chair of the Haringey Stop and Search Monitoring group, said:

"While I was present during the operation I observed that the police conducted themselves in a very professional and appropriate manner when engaging with young people and members of the public."

Chris Hannington, member of the Haringey stop and search monitoring group, the HCPCG and acting chair of the HREC (Haringey Race and Equalities Commission), said:

Haringey Operations Superintendent Chris Barclay said:

"Our commitment is to police with the consent of the community and if we are to be successful in protecting our young people, the vast majority of whom are law abiding, we understand that any success lies in our relationship with the community and in your support.

"We invited community representatives to see officers at work on the streets at first hand, and we are listening to the concerns of the community in order to build on the strengths of our community relationships.

"We need to stop people from settling their disagreements using weapons. That means doing everything we can by way of enforcement and disruption, discouraging the carrying of weapons and taking weapons off our streets so they can’t be used by those intent on violence.

"Our absolute and overwhelming priority is to keep people safe and this means using a variety of tactics such as stop and search that we understand some people may feel uncomfortable with.

"My pledge is to ensure that my officers continue to behave with integrity and carry out their duty with the utmost professionalism. If there are instances where members of the community feel that my staff have not acted professionally then I need to know.

"Last week community observers accompanied officers on a number of raids to tackle gangs . Those raids show that where those connected with gangs refuse to take the options offered to help them remove themselves from this dangerous lifestyle, we are prepared to take robust enforcement action and they must face the consequences."

 

Notes:

Find out more about stop and search at www.met.police.uk/stopandsearch

Section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, gives police the right to search people in a defined area at a specific time when they believe, with good reason, that: there is the possibility of serious violence; or that a person is carrying a dangerous object or offensive weapon; or that an incident involving serious violence has taken place and a dangerous instrument or offensive weapon used in the incident is being carried in the locality. This law has to be authorised by a senior officer and is used mainly to tackle football hooliganism and gang fights. "In the time that I was with the officers they conducted themselves in a proper and effective manner. They were out on the streets trying to help young people not get into a situation where things could get out of hand and to ensure that weapons are scarce. In the circumstances, given recent incidents, a section 60 was in place and they were using their powers rightly, appropriately and professionally.""The Haringey Stop and Search Monitoring group welcomes Haringey Police's commitment to policing with the consent of the community. HSSG is an independent organisation which monitors the use of stop and search in the borough and its effectiveness, and we will continue to monitor the use of Section 60. The group is proactive in challenging disproportionate levels of stop and search which undermine community confidence in the police.