News

Police can't be trusted to stop and search fairly

Thursday, 23 January 2014

The former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell, who resigned from his post over the 'plebgate' affair, calls for an end to police stop and search where there are no grounds for suspicion.

Writing in The Times:

'In 2011-12 Asian or Asian British people accounted for nearly 17 per cent of such stops; black or black British people nearly 36 per cent. The situation has only worsened since the Macpherson Inquiry into Stephen Lawerence's death...

'Is this really the way we wish to police our nation?... Stop and search stands out as perhaps the biggest source of resentment towards the police today'.

'As an elected politician I am ashamed of having not fully understood the truth of this before. I understand it now.'

Read the full piece here (subscription required).