In recent weeks there have been three reports, the last emanating from the police inspectorate, that have criticised ‘racist’ police stop and search. Below is a response from retired police officer, Chris Hobbs.
Stop and Search: An alternative view
The bloody aftermath of a London stabbing. Photo courtesy Crime Scene Images
It was footage that should never have appeared on social media, but it was sent to me by a shocked journalist and I duly watched. The CCTV footage featuring a London street was blurred and at a distance but there was no doubt about the content. Four men could be seen attacking another individual who was left lying on the ground. His attackers fled in a vehicle which was later found burnt out.
He was some distance from the road and from a prone position, raised his arm, trying to attract the attention of a passing motorist; in fairness to the driver, the prone male must have looked like one of the many street drinkers that can be found across London.
After a short interval, two passers-by hesitantly approached the individual and clearly realised something was wrong. They were joined by a third and one of the three could be seen making a call to the emergency services.
All the while I was watching this harrowing footage, I knew the outcome. The 16- year boy had been stabbed and would eventually die. As he lay there, despite the blurry footage, I could see his leg occasionally move. He appeared to be alive and probably fully aware he was in serious trouble.
Even though I knew the outcome, I was willing the emergency services to arrive and somehow change the inevitable. In such situations, time passes with agonising slowness whereas in reality it was a matter of minutes before blue flashing lights saw the arrival of a police response vehicle.
The officers began, what is now an all too familiar part of their duties; trying to save the life of a victim who has been savagely assaulted.
The boy’s death, as is so often the case these days, generated a passing flicker of interest from the media. Only, it would seem, if you have some form of connection to a Prime Minister does that flicker become a briefly sustainable flame; a fact not lost on numerous social media users.
I’ve watched others die on the streets of London via social media and those images will stay with me. Of course, police officers, as those mentioned above, will never ever forget these tragedies in which they play such an integral part.
Arguably some of the most telling footage in respect of these incidents is from a Camberwell estate where legions of officers were seen frantically attending to four stabbing victims including a youth who was apparently eviscerated. One officer could be seen holding the hand of a victim as he was being stretchered away.
Just days ago, ITV carried a story whereby a London mum received a Facetime message from her son……..asking for help as he had been stabbed.
A week after the Wembley murder, referred to above, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (and Fire Service-HMICFRS) produced a report, the tenor which suggested that the disproportionate number of stop/searches involved those from BAME communities, especially the black community, was motivated by racism. This was the third such report in just weeks and the particular concern here were the volume of drug searches.
The report suggested that forces were unable to justify this tactic, which was surprising in that, as we will see, the situation has been commented upon by both the Met Commissioner and her deputy.
The report contains some positive suggestions in respect of training and communication with relevant communities however the HMISFRS is headed by Sir Tom Winsor, who was the architect of the now discredited the ‘more for less’ philosophy that resulted in hugely damaging cuts to policing.
It would probably be regarded as a gross understatement to suggest that the HMICFRS is regarded as lacking any sort of empathy or sympathy for the difficulties faced by police officers struggling on the front line.
So, are police stopping the right people?
One question that should have been considered by the Inspectorate is simply are police stopping the right people? Stop and search was a contentious issue in 1981 and of course led to the Brixton riots. I well remember being rushed, as a young PC, from Southall to Brixton in one of a fleet of police station vans.
In the aftermath, one night duty, we went through out station stop book. Were we stopping the right people? Well, we were. Some 90% had significant criminal histories. A number of serving officers I have spoken to believe that the results would be similar today and it is surprising that these details are not kept by the forces themselves and even more surprising that these figures are not being demanded by the HMICFRS.
Do drug searches simply reveal drugs or nothing?
The second question that deserves an answer is simply how many searches for drugs also result in the discovery of deadly weapons? HMICFRS fail to acknowledge in their 47page report, the relationship between drugs and weapons and indeed, drugs, weapons and gangs.
There is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that this is not an infrequent occurrence. There is, throughout the report, very little mention of weapons, especially knives which is surprising.
Unless I’m guilty of misinterpretation, there is also comment which seems to imply that officers should somehow be able to make a pre-search distinction between those in simple possession and those being searched in relation to the offence of drugs supply. Perhaps training should include a sharpening of officer’s psychic powers.
In any event, while searches should not be undertaken as a deterrent, the fact is that searches for whatever reason will be a factor in the respect of an individual decision as to whether to take a knife or other weapon out on to the streets. A reduction in the number of searches may well play a key part in what could well be a life changing or life ending decision.
The elephant that shouldn’t be in the room.
I’ll begin with an assertion by Cressida Dick, namely:
Similar observations were made by her deputy commissioner Stephen House and haven’t been disputed:
Reports by Mayor Khan’s office come to similar conclusion and the Mayor, once opposed to stop and search changed his view with the grim reality of office and now supports the tactic.
A Sky News investigation showed that the black community comprises 13% of London’s population yet makes up 44% of the capitals tragic murder victims. That disproportionality and indeed suffering, extends to murder suspects and the reasons for these alarming figures are explored below. Suffice it to say that mainstream politicians need to look at themselves.
If the Inspectorate are still scratching their heads as to disproportionate stop and search, perhaps they should take the trouble of looking at montages of those of who have died violently on London’s streets over the last few years. These tragedies would be far greater in number were it not for the greatly improved trauma skills of NHS doctors, nurses, paramedics and indeed police officers who are often first on the scene of violent crime incidents. Such improvements make statistical comparisons with 20 or even 10 years ago misleading.
Gangs, drugs and drill.
Police forces generally at various command levels, seem reluctant to admit that they have a gang problem. Occasionally at a trial, the full story of deadly gang rivalries are revealed but the extent of gang influences are often kept from the public and, it would seem, from the HMICFRS. Gang activity barely features in their report.
Many London gangs are long established and are engaged in ‘civil wars’ that have been ongoing for years; in some cases, decades. Others fade away but are replaced by ‘new kids on the block.’ Most of the gangs in question are represented by one or more rappers and being an established gang rapper can result in, at worst, death or imprisonment. Gang rappers have little choice but to maintain a ‘macho’ image. A gang rapper who is ‘caught lacking’ (unawares) and flees, has some serious explaining to do. The gangs also have a significant business interest which revolves around drugs and indeed other criminal enterprises. ‘Trappin’ or drug dealing is a fact of life for many linked to gangs. The HMICFRS report does, in fact, make a reference to ‘county lines.’ County lining has been around for many years but relatively recent interest has been generated by the exploitation of youngsters by unscrupulous gangs.
The influence of rappers, gangs and drugs on youth culture is disturbingly illustrated in one You Tube video featuring a leading drill rapper and entitled, appropriately, ‘Trapping.’ Extolling the virtues of a ‘trapper’s’ lifestyle (unless there’s a hidden meaning that passed me by) the video achieved 15 million views.
Attempting to take down You Tube videos appears fruitless. Instagram insults and challenges are simply transferred to a wider You Tube audience and re-posted if taken down. ‘Youth’ news bulletins, normally accurate can be found and, shockingly so can scoreboards which show the ‘state of play’ between rival gangs. Points are awarded for murders, shootings stabbings, drawing blood etc.
The police community generally, with the apparent exception of the HMICFRS, are fully aware of the malevolent influence of gangs; an influence which means, as illustrated on Friday’s BBC London News, that even non-gang members or affiliates (those on nodding terms with gang members) have to take significant detours in order to avoid territories that are ‘owned’ by rival ‘postcode’ gangs.
Into this maelstrom, step the police who attempt to curtail activities involving drugs and serious violence thereby saving lives. They use the limited powers available whilst being watched, not just by numerous mobile phones but by a hostile inspectorate and an IOPC, with both organisations appearing to have little concept of the reality which exists on the streets of London together with other cities and towns.
Section 60.
There is also strident criticism of ‘Section 60’ whereby police can search without the requirement of reasonable grounds. The issue of ‘disproportionality again is an issue, yet much will depend on the circumstances of the probable violent incident such as a stabbing or shooting, which prompted the S60 implementation. Officers would be aware of the intelligence in relation to the incident, such as descriptions of victim(s) and assailants(s) which would in turn determine their response as to who would be stop and searched.
A negative narrative encourages violence.
Chris is a retired black Met officer.
Part of the report deals with the issue of a disproportionate use of force by police against members of the black community. Again, amazingly there is no consideration of whether the anti-police narrative actually increases levels of hostility towards police.
If there is a stream of constant, unchallenged negativity directed against police from so called community activists, both social and mainstream media and indeed from the IOPC and HMICFRS, then surely this will negatively impact on any interactions between police and members of that community, especially youths and young men.
The irrefutable fact is that socio- economic deprivation, sub-standard housing, inferior education, poor health care, lack of job opportunities and inadequate facilities for young people including cuts in sure start provision, youth clubs and special needs/mental health facilities result in high crime areas and thus increased contact and conflict with police.
Police are well aware of these factors and also know that constant negativity directed against police, coupled with unremitting allegations of police racism will increase antagonism towards officers; this will lead to an increased use of force which increases animosity still further. Clearly if a BAME youth or young man is approached by an individual who he regards as a brutal, racist oppressor then that encounter may not go well.
The socio-economic conditions which contribute to a high level of violent crime are not the fault of police but, as I’ve stated previously, the responsibility of successive generations of inept politicians from both sides of the political spectrum. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s the police who have to provide the sticking plaster and it’s the police who become the whipping boys (and girls) of politicians, activists, criminals, the media together with the HMICFRS and IOPC.
Is it really alright not to be alright?
There is now an acknowledgment that attention needs to be paid in respect of the mental health of police officers. There is no doubt that the stresses and strains borne by front line officers are far greater than when I was a young PC patrolling the streets of Southall.
Police officers are subject, quite rightly, to high standards of behaviour but there are surely times when those stresses may cause an officer to ‘snap’ and behave in a way that may attract criticism and possibly complaints.
The HMICFRS report states that they viewed social media footage of stops where the behaviour of officers may have been short tempered, rude and aggressive. They seem to acknowledge that these clips are relatively few and are notorious for being edited but even then, there is no balanced comment in relation to the fact that officers may well ‘snap’ due to the stress and pressures upon them.
If they and others feel there can never be an excuse in any circumstances for such behaviour, then of course that tends to negate the ‘it’s alright not to be alright’ mantra. A difficult, complex topic but perhaps one that should have featured in this HMICFRS report.
The lack of positivity.
Contained within the report were statistics which appeared, at least to me as being surprisingly positive. During a recent Talk Radio interview, the presenter, Ian Collins expressed surprise that the ‘find’ rate of stop and searches was as high as 25%. I replied that I also found that surprising. It also seems that 84% of stops and searches examined by the HMICFRS were satisfactory in terms of reasonable grounds. Again, given the pressures officers are under out there in the real world, my own personal view was that this was also surprisingly high.
Of course, there is much interaction that occurs between minority communities and police that is positive. Officers rushing on ‘blues and two’s’ to stabbing and shooting incidents, arriving before paramedics and administering life-saving first-aid, is a by far from rare occurrence. In London and some, not all, major conurbations, that victim is likely to be from the black or other minority community. Officer’s also suffer the pain of seeing those who they desperately try and help, dying before their eyes.
There some green shoots visible in terms of rapprochement between police and the black community. An example can be found on the Angell Estate in south London, where Pastor Lorraine Jones who herself lost a son to knife crime, is instrumental in forging a close relationship between police and youths via the local boxing club. Lorraine’s son, Dwayne, was fatally stabbed when bravely coming to the assistance of another.
Pastor Lorraine Jones tweets as Dwaynamics
Alas, as I’ve personally heard at BLM linked rallies, many (not all) activists are against any form of positive contact with police. The Met’s Op Trident did, from 2000, established trust and a sound working relationship with all sections of the black community. Alas, the powers that be couldn’t leave well alone and as I retired in 2011, in acrimonious exchanges, I was being told ‘Trident isn’t about the black community.’
Getting justice for homicide victims and their family is another aspect of positive policing that is frequently ignored by police critics. Most homicides are solved although there are concerns that police cuts coupled with increased demand are adversely affecting the police success rate.
However, the question could well be posed as to whether it would have been preferable for the perpetrator to have been stopped, searched and arrested, albeit on the feeblest of grounds, before encountering their unfortunate victim.
Handcuffing to enable a stop and search was also criticised and it would seem the Met have already taken action to curb the practice. However, where’s the balance there or in the Met’s decision. Many front-line officers will have dealt with stabbings and seen their devastating effects. They will know that a knife can be produced and inflict dreadful perhaps fatal damage, in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps, at the very least, that concern could have been addressed when discussing reasons for the recommendation but there again those making the recommendation/decision are much less likely to face a dangerous, armed suspect than the officer on the front line.
End result.
So, what will be the result of the ‘triple whammy’ in respect of the IOPC. Justice and HMICFRS report. The concerns are similar to those of Theresa May and indeed she is mentioned by the HMICFRS in their report.
The dramatic scaling back of stop and search at the behest of May was, it is believed, hugely significant in the rise of violent crime. Whilst the proportion of successful stop and searches went up as officers focussed on ‘certs,’ the actual number of arrests in London fell by 1,000 a month.
Whilst I suspect that some recommendations concerning better recording, evaluation and training will, quite properly, be implemented, most Chief Constables will not wish to encourage an overall reduction in stop and search numbers for fear of making an already bad situation even worse in terms of criminal activity and violence on our streets.
In the meantime, we await the inevitable HMICFRS inspectorate report on ‘policing the pandemic,’ which doubtless will again see them pander to activists who are complaining of ‘over-zealous’ policing, police brutality and officers ‘behaving like Nazis.’