Stop and Search Does Not Work

Recently published crime figures reveal that street robbery figures have risen by 11%. This is despite efforts to massage this situation away (see here for more on this)

The offence of street robbery is an obsession of senior police officers, particularly in inner city areas. For senior officers at a local level, daily robbery figures cause sleepless nights and obsessive days. No other type of offence comes close. Each force is set targets by the Home Office. These are based on reduction in the number of offences, and the amount of crimes 'solved', or 'detected'.

The majority of senior officers in the Metropolitan Police Service have very little experience of crime investigation, and have little interest in long-term goals. Their objectives are predominately led by graphs and figures coupled with forecasts and statistics. Short-term 'solutions' are adopted in knee-jerk responses to pressure from above. There is no place for pro-active detective work with a view to providing medium and long term results at a local level.

When a robbery problem is identified in a particular area, a number of uniformed officers are tasked there. Their success is measured on the associated crime reduction. Their personal work rate is assessed on the number of arrests they make, and the number of stop and searches they conduct. This tactic is deployed with monotonous regularity. It does not solve the inherent problem in the area concerned. Crime is displaced. It still happens, only in a different place until the police leave.

Stop and searches rarely lead to arrests. Small amounts of cannabis, and occasionally weapons are found. These are a tiny proportion of the number of stops conducted. Any robber worth his salt is quite capable of seeing the police coming. They do not stand and wait to be searched. The power to search gives the police the power to detain for that purpose. Mere discussion does not. Such tactics have been discredited many times before, but are still used as performance indicators. Stop and search produces little but alienation in inner city areas.

While the uniformed officers are searching youths who 'smell of cannabis' or are 'in an area of high robbery offences' the detectives are under pressure to detect the robberies already reported. This often means hours of viewing CCTV footage. This hardly, if ever, produces tangible results (see here for more on this).

The funding expires, the extra police leave and the robbery problem returns. The confidence of the community is in doubt following excessive use of searches and the fact that the robbers are still at large. The police managers are satisfied that while the stops were happening, robbery figures in that area were down.

The police have a number of tried and tested covert policing methods. The senior management will not authorise their use because they do not provide short term quick fixes.

Community based policing which does not rely on confrontational use of stop and search enhances the relationship between police and public. This is turn will increase confidence which leads to information sharing. By this method, the identities of the youths committing the robberies can be discovered. This can be coupled with police intelligence.

Intelligence led pro-active detective work can then take place, targeting the priority offenders. This method will ensure the best evidence possible is obtained and the public are protected. The muggers will actually be arrested and charged with substantive offences that are likely to result in custodial sentences. The quality of the evidence obtained should be such that a guilty plea will be offered at court therefore saving the public money, and avoiding the stress of court appearances for victims.

The cycle can then begin again. The community will see that the robbers are being removed from the streets. The fear of capture will once again be instilled in the criminals. Making communities safer is a long-term commitment. Current tactics are failing the community, as the figures show.