NCJ Number
185465
Editor(s)
Carole F. Willis
Date Published
2000
Length
75 pages
Annotation
This report presents public experiences and perceptions of stops and searches.
Abstract
The report draws on in-depth interviews with individuals in the U.K. who have been stopped or searched, and discussion groups. While there was some support for police stops and searches, the public considers that the costs to local communities (e.g., aggravation, distrust and resentment) outweigh their potential value (e.g., finding drugs, weapons or stolen items). A recommendation of the Inquiry Report into the Death of Stephen Lawrence (1999) said that a record should be made of all police stops of the public, not just searches, and that a copy be given to the person stopped. The record was to include the reason and outcome of the stop and how the person described his or her own ethnic background. The public considered that the recommendation of the Inquiry Report goes some way toward allaying concerns about current use of stops and searches, but trust and confidence is primarily based on being treated fairly and with respect and being given a good reason for the stop, rather than on changes in procedure. Tables, boxes, notes, references, appendix