New study on how the police use stop and search powers in Notts

“Don't hold your breath, AY.”

“Would smshogun please supply the citation for the r v revill case please? I'd like to see what it's all about”

“I am interested in iwilltellit's comment: "if someone looks suspicious it makes no difference if they are black or white."

The police power to stop and search people requires the officer to have reasonable suspicion - PACE Code A sets it all out I think - so, how can you tell if "someone looks suspicious"?

There are many ways I think, but if an officer were to reasonably suspect a black person might have committed a criminal offence purely because they were black then this would be regarded as racist surely?

Any study that helps to find out if police officers are - consciously or sub-consciously - exercising their powers unfairly must surely be worthwhile?”

“You don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing on this one. Prepare the ground with an 'academic study' before demanding changes. Standard political propaganda technique.”

“this only needs to be a simple statistical exercise looking at a range of variables, of which race probably need not be one. I'm pretty sure it will conclude the police, most of the time, round up the right folks.Any half competent GCSE maths student could settle the question once and for all given the right data.”

“I think this could be very interesting given the amount of claims that Police in certain areas are over zealous or abusing their powers for stop and search, and that in other areas they underuse these powers. It will also be interesting to know the history of those stopped and searched because guidelines were tightened due to Regina V Revill and many Police forces seem to have ignored this.

We wait with bated breath.”

“Excellent points made here by most people. Unfortunately I fear where this is going, and the end result could be more stop and search regardless of race and location for all of us. Consequently police being more tied up and eventually more crime. There seems to be a catalogue of weird ideas coming from the new commissioner and deputy. Most have nothing to do with helping the vast majority with their genuine crime issues and more to do with political posturing. Thankyou govt for giving us a charter for cranks to elect local cranks where it is most likely.”

“I share your fears Cliftonian. If this survey becomes the basis of policing policy it must be thorough, reliable and valid. If the sample chosen is politically or culturally biased then it will simply be a corrupt manipulation of the so-called facts to pursue a dogmatically driven agenda.”

“I would feel a lot happier if Paddy Tipping were to ask Katherine Birbalsingh to carry out this survey, or at the very least, conduct a parallel study.

At least we would then have rather more confidence that a somewhat better thought-out, objective and balanced investigation would be undertaken by her than by the one proposed, judging by the aims and methodology of the exercise, as outlined in the NEP article ('A small pilot survey for the project – which involved nearly 30 black and ethnic minority Notts people – revealed about half had been stopped and searched' and 'It is hoped 1,000 people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds will take part in the project announced ...Commissioner Paddy Tipping').

In the interests of even handedness, Commissioner Tipping and the Notts Police must not be party to an investigation where the 'results' can almost be written up before the study begins.”

“A pleasant enough lady but a through and through Trot and a black power fanatic.
Her views faded out last century.”