MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board: Young Londoners demand answers to tackle youth crime

Celia Prentice on 30 September 2008 at 16:30

Tags: 2008, crime, eodb, london, mpa, mps, news, press release, press releases, stop and search, violent crime, youth,

49/08
26 September 2008

Young Londoners explained their fears about violent crime to Met officers at the MPA’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB) on 25 September 2008.

Kirsten Hearn, chair of the EODB, said:

“I welcome and thank the young people from the North East London College, Hillingdon Youth Service and the MPS Corporate Advisory Group who have come here to tell us their fears and concerns about youth crime in London. Knife related crimes are the Met’s top priority and I also thank DAC Alf Hitchcock, who leads on this issue, for taking part in our debate. Only by working together can young people and police find solutions to the terrible violence that is blighting our communities.”

The young people’s concerns were wide ranging and included being afraid to go out at night, worries about disproportionality in the use of stop and search and the effectiveness of search arches.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alf Hitchcock explained how Operation Blunt 2 is being used to tackle youth violence in London, and how other police operations are working together to ensure the most effective use of resources. For example, Operation Tyrol looks at safety on the buses, with an increase in the number of Safer Transport teams and transport ‘hub’ teams. Officers are now working on integrating this operation into Neighbourhood policing.

Several young people stressed the need for a broader approach to divert young people from crime and called for more programmes such as Kickz, more sports facilities and citizenship courses. Police agreed that ways must be found to tackle such issues as peer pressure, while providing more diversionary projects and ensuring employment opportunities are available.

Cindy Butts, deputy chair of the MPA, said:

“The Met are doing some strong work to support young people that are trying to leave serious violence and gang life behind. The five boroughs gangs project and ‘Pathways’, part of Operation Alliance, are excellent examples of this approach.”

DAC Alf Hitchcock assured young men in the debate that stop and search is scrutinised by community monitoring groups set up by the MPA, which give local people the opportunity to discuss with officers how it is being used in their areas and make sure it is being used fairly. The MPA has produced a DVD on stop and search to be used as a teaching tool for both police officers and communities alike.

Screening arches have been use extensively across the capital, primarily as a deterrent to stop people carrying knives, but as one participant added they only make people feel safer when police explain clearly how they are going to be used.

As well as operational policing on the streets and in neighbourhoods, police are in regular contact with their communities, meeting with faith groups, holding ’street’ briefings in communities and visiting youth clubs. Safer School Officers have become central to this issue and are setting up youth panels in every school.

The Met has also been working closely with its partners, including the Mayor, the GLA, the London Youth crime prevention board and the London community safety partnership, to ensure the operational tactics used by the police are supported by youth reassurance and engagement.

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

'Go Wisely: everything you need to know about stop and search' MPA releases innovative educational DVD

Celia Prentice on 23 June 2008 at 11:02

Tags: 2008, dvd, mpa, news, press release, press releases, stop and search, video,

33/08
23 June 2008

The Metropolitan Police Authority has launched an innovative educational DVD about the police use of stop and search as a tactic to combat crime, to debate why it's a controversial tool and explore what young people think about it.

The DVD will be used as part of an overall training package for the police in how to use stop and search appropriately, and inform the public, especially young people, of their rights when they are stopped or searched.

'Go Wisely - everything you need to know about stop and search' has been produced by the MPA in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Service, the Safer London Foundation, Greater Manchester Police Authority and community groups in London and Manchester. During production the advice of various organisations, including Liberty, was sought to ensure that it provides a balanced picture.

John Roberts, MPA lead member on stop and search, said:

"For many people, being stopped and searched by a police officer will be their first encounter with the police. It is crucial that officers are professional and respectful when they use the tactic. The public also need to understand why the police use this tool, as well as what their rights are during a stop and search procedure.

"This DVD is an interactive learning tool to be used as part of an overall training package to help train officers to use this police tactic appropriately, and to help the public, especially young people, to understand how stop and search is used to keep them and their communities safe. This dialogue is crucial because these measures need to be understood and trusted if they are to be effective. We will be making it widely available to community and youth groups and schools across London, and it's also available to view on the MPA website.

The DVD was filmed on location in London and Manchester. During filming the camera crew were involved in a real crime incident and filmed the police live as they searched for culprits. It features serving officers talking about how stop and search can help them detect crime, and young people talking about their perceptions of stop and search, their experiences of being stopped and how they want to be treated with respect by the police if stopped.

John Roberts concluded:

"While we were making this DVD the young people involved reiterated what we've heard time and again in conversation with young Londoners: they can understand why the police need the power to stop and search to detect crime, but it's how that interaction takes place that matters. Respect is the keyword. As another participant in the DVD said, "treat others as you would want to be treated yourself."

"Watch the DVD. Think about it. Talk about it. And learn from it. The police are here to protect you and help your community lead their lives in safety."

An accompanying resource pack has been developed by Greater Manchester Police Authority, with support from Manchester City Council, designed to help viewers explore the issues raised within the DVD. The pack activities are suitable for use with young people aged 13+ and police officers.

Notes to Editors

1. 'Go Wisely - everything you need to know about Stop and Search', together with the accompanying resource pack, is available to view on the MPA website at: www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/stop-search/go-wisely.htm

2. The DVD was shown for the first time at the MPA's stop and search conference - 'Stop right now, thank you very much' - in central London on Saturday 21 June 2008. See conference press release for further details: www.mpa.gov.uk/news/press/2008/08-032.htm

3. The DVD project board comprised representatives of all the partners and included members of the MPS Youth Independent Advisory Group. Help was given by the following organisations during production: Carisma (Challenging Gun & Gang Culture in Manchester, the Children's Society, Liberty, REAL (Race Equality Action Lewisham) and representatives from communities in London and Greater Manchester.

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

 

'Stop right now, thank you very much': MPA Stop and search conference

Celia Prentice on 23 June 2008 at 11:00

Tags: 2008, conference, mpa, news, press release, press releases, stop and search, stop and search conference,

32/08
20 June 2008

The Metropolitan Police Authority is holding a wide-ranging stop and search conference on Saturday 21 June.

Delegates will discuss the MPA's successful work to transform the practice of stop and search in London and have the opportunity to influence the way ahead for monitoring processes in the light of recent and forthcoming government reviews of the practice. The conference will bring together community groups, police authorities, police, community safety managers and community members involved in monitoring the practice of this crucial police tool.

John Roberts, MPA lead member for stop and search, said:

"At the MPA conference we'll be celebrating the progress made through partnership working between police and communities to add confidence and trust in the effective use of stop and search, and share best practice from the experience of other cities. We'll be acknowledging how far we've travelled while exploring how we can make even more progress in the future.

"The MPA has worked consistently to transform the way in which the Met interacts with London's communities. We recognise that poorly handled encounters between the police and the public have the potential to damage community relations.

"That's why our stop and search scrutiny in 2004 was explicit in its demand for officers to be trained to treat people with respect when carrying out stop and search operations. This plays a major role in the continued implementation of citizen focussed policing - making police services more responsive to the needs and concerns of our communities."

In conclusion, John said:

"Having implemented the recommendations of the MPA scrutiny, the Met has come a long way over the last four years. The MPA has continued to implement change to make stop and search more transparent and accountable. We now have better and quicker recording of stops and searches, are tackling ethnic disproportionality effectively, have clearer lines of accountability, higher arrest rates, and reductions in unnecessary bureaucracy. We have also introduced Community Monitoring Networks, operating in every London borough, that enable local communities to monitor the practice in their local area, in partnership with the police, and challenge any misuse directly."

Keynote speakers include:

Tony McNulty MP, Minister of State for Security, Counter Terrorism, Crime and Policing;
Len Duvall, chair MPA;
Kit Malthouse, deputy mayor for policing, first deputy chair MPA;
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, MPS;
Commander Rod Jarman, MPS lead for stop and search.

Greater Manchester Police Authority will outline their work building trust in stop and search practice; the co-chairs of the London Stop and Search Community Monitoring Network will outline community priorities for the future use and monitoring of stop and search across London; and there will be drama presentations by the young people of Second Wave, the Lewisham performing arts project.

Notes to Editors

1. ‘Stop right now, thank you very much’: 10:00 – 16:00 this Saturday, 21 June 2008 at the Park Plaza Riverbank, 18 Albert Embankment SE1 7TJ.

2. Members of the media wishing to attend should confirm their interest by calling the MPA press office:
Jacqui Jones 020 7202 0217
Michael Upton 020 7202 0218
Out of hours: 07769 742 795

3. Speaker times:

• Len Duvall - the MPA’s scrutiny of stop and search 10:10;
• Kit Malthouse - developing a safer London 10:20;
• Tony McNulty - the future of stop and search 13:45.

4. The MPA published its stop and search scrutiny report, making 55 recommendations for change, in May 2004. All of these recommendations have now been enacted. The background to the scrutiny, and the final report, is available at: www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/stop-search/default.htm

5. The Home Office sponsored stop and search website provides information about the police tactic and people’s rights: www.stopandsearch.com

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

Stop and search - potential changes must be fully debated

David Lenton on 31 January 2008 at 22:23

Tags: change, changes, gla, greater london, greater london authority, london, met, met police, metropolitan police authority, metropolitan police service, mpa, mps, news, police, police force, police officer, police service, policing, press release, press releases, review, stop and account, stop and search,

04/08
31 January 2008

Commenting on the national debate on a review of police stop and account powers, John Roberts, MPA lead member for stop and search scrutiny, said:

“Stop and search and stop and account powers are vital tools in the fight against crime and terrorism, as long as they are used with respect and sensitivity.

“The Metropolitan Police Authority closely scrutinises the use of these powers and the way in which they impinge on our communities. Any move to widen their use, eliminate the need for police to have reasonable suspicion of an offence having been committed, or scrapping the stop and account form must be fully debated and the views of our communities sought and listened to before any final decisions are taken.

“There is a lot of speculation at the moment around this issue. The MPA will await publication of Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s review and announcement of the government’s intentions before we decide upon our detailed response.

“We reply on strong community-police relations and if we are to retain public trust and support, stop and search powers must be used fairly as part of intelligence-led policing.

“We all want to see less bureaucracy to free up police to spend even more time on the streets as long as we retain full accountability of their actions.

“Police stops are one of the most contentious policing issues for London’s black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, and we therefore need to ensure that police use of these powers is acceptable to and supported by all concerned.”

Notes to Editors

In 2003-04 the MPA conducted a comprehensive review of stop and search powers used by the Met, which resulted in 55 recommendations that improved the way they were used in London and increased accountability.

The introduction of Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report led to the requirement for police to give those they stopped and questioned a record of the stop.

The MPA is currently reviewing a proposed revised MPS stop and search and account form, which once approved will be piloted in a number of London boroughs before being rolled out across the capital. The revisions cut the length of the form by half. The introduction of handheld computers for police expected later in the year should also speed up the process.

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office.