NCJ Number
185463
Editor(s)
Carole F. Willis
Date Published
2000
Length
84 pages
Annotation
This report describes the working practices of British police officers making stops and searches and highlights how the legitimacy of individual stops and searches might be enhanced.
Abstract
The report draws on more than 100 interviews with officers and 340 hours of observation of operational patrol officers on shift. Legitimacy of stops and searches is based on the interconnected principles of public trust and confidence, legality and effectiveness. The legitimacy of stops and searches is more likely to be placed at risk in each of those areas if the searches are based on high levels of discretion, inaccurate information, lack of direct evidence or are poorly handled. The report examines how officers develop suspicions about people based on age, appearance, behavior or location and how such judgments can alienate members of the public. It also reviews the wide variation in officers' understanding and use of the PACE Code, which is designed to regulate the conduct of searches, particularly around the concept of reasonable suspicion. The report includes recommendations for police personnel at different levels: (1) Home Office, National Police Training, Association of Chief Police Officers; (2) police management; and (3) operational officers. Tables, figures, boxes, notes, references