Suella Braverman has encouraged police chiefs to use stop and search powers more often to “seize dangerous weapons and prevent more knife crime attacks”.
The home secretary’s letter to 43 chief constables does not have any direct impact on how officers act, as the police are operationally independent of government.
But the latest intervention shows the Home Office wants to see an increase in officers using the controversial powers.
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There has been criticism of the practice of stop and search, especially over the proportion of black men and boys – with one research paper describing it as a “rite of passage” for black boys.
Government statistics suggest black people are seven times more like to be stopped and searched compared with white people.
And campaign groups have previously warned that relaxing restrictions on police use of the power could compound discrimination.
‘First priority must be on prevention and public safety’
But Ms Braverman is “giving her full backing” to the policing method – with the Home Office highlighting in the 12 months to March 2022, 99 young people died due to knife crime, and 31 of those victims were black.
A Home Office spokesman says this shows “black males are, therefore, disproportionately more likely to be killed by violence and knife crime”.
“Though the government recognises black males are more likely to be stopped and searched, our first priority must be on prevention and public safety.”
Almost 50,000 weapons have been seized during stop and searches since 2019 according to the Home Office, leading to more than 220,000 arrests.
Ms Braverman also wants officers to “arrest and investigate” in instances where someone “unlawfully” obstructs officers stopping and searching a person.
The home secretary is also calling for the body worn camera footage recorded by constables to be released faster as she hopes “by telling the whole story quickly, innocent police officers will not be subject to trial by social media over their actions”.
Ms Braverman said: “Carrying weapons is a scourge on our society. And anyone doing so is risking their own lives as well as the lives of those around them. This dangerous culture must be brought to a stop.
“My first priority is to keep the public safe and people who insist on carrying a weapon must know that there will be consequences.”
There have been concerns about the proportion of black men and boys who have been stopped and searched
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She added: “The police have my full support to ramp up the use of stop and search, wherever necessary, to prevent violence and save more lives.
“Every death from knife crime is a tragedy. That’s why I also back the police in tackling this blight in communities which are disproportionately affected, such as among young black males. We need to do everything in our power to crack down on this violence.”
The home secretary also updated the safeguards being put in place when it comes to stop and search to “strengthen trust between the police and local communities”.
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The government therefore says it intends to make it a legal requirement for police to “communicate” when they are putting Section 60 orders in place, which make it easier to stop and search in specific areas, with exceptions if it would “hinder a sensitive situation to do so”.
And data on every interaction must be collected, passed to the Home Office, and published.
Braverman ‘chasing headlines’, says Labour
Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper accused the home secretary of “chasing headlines” instead of tackling knife crime.
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“Knife crime has shot up after 13 years of the Tories, with the biggest increases in the suburbs and counties, destroying lives and devastating families,” she said.
“Yet instead of a serious government plan to get knife crime back down, the home secretary is just writing the police more letters and chasing headlines.
“The decimation of neighbourhood policing, cuts to youth prevention work, lack of a proper serious violence strategy and lack of action on organised crime under the Tories has allowed knife crime to go up across all communities.”