FIGURES have revealed that black people are ten times as likely to be stopped and searched by officers than white people.
Human rights organisation Liberty said stop and search is traumatic and distressing and called on the Government to invest in addressing the issues it creates.
According to the Home Office, Dorset Police conducted 112 stop and searches on black people in the year to March – equivalent to 21.1 per 1,000 black people in the area.
This is in comparison to a rate of 2.2 per 1,000 white people in Dorset, meaning black people were 9.8 times more likely to be subject to a stop-and-search.
It was also found that in Dorset, children accounted for 18.8% of all stop and searches.
Liberty is a nationwide anti-racism charity dedicated to fighting discrimination.
Ruth Ehrlich, head of policy and campaigns at Liberty, said: “Stop and search is traumatic and distressing – and something that black people are far more likely to experience. Just because this disproportionality is not new does not mean we should fail to be appalled by it.
“For years, previous Governments have failed communities by stripping away the support that they need and used racist and violent policing tools to try and paper over the cracks.
“We need the new Government to take urgent action to reduce the use of stop and search, and for greater investment to tackle these serious issues.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Stop and search is an important tool in tackling crime but it’s crucial for public confidence in the police that it is used in an appropriate and fair way.
“Certain groups have been disproportionately targeted for stop and search and while this has been significantly reduced, there is more work to do and the Home Secretary will play a more active role in raising standards across policing.
“Ultimately, prevention remains the most effective tool for tackling crime which is why our ambitious Young Futures Programme will support those at risk of getting involved in crime and work with them towards a brighter future.”
Dorset Police assistant chief constable Steve Lyne said: “Stop and search are unique powers for policing and if used fairly and effectively, can help keep people and our communities safe. If it isn’t used fairly, we know it can have a significant detrimental impact on individuals and communities and the trust and confidence they have in policing, especially our Black communities.
“We are working hard to ensure that we are using our stop and search powers on those people who bring most harm to our communities. As a result, we see some great results here in Dorset with weapons, drugs and stolen property being recovered and people being brought to justice.
“In Dorset we have seen our disparity rates decrease in recent years but we acknowledge that progress to eliminate disproportionality in our use of stop and search has been slow and it is not where we want it to be.
“We are working with members of our Black community to explore and develop ways in which we can reform the use of stop and search, while talking to our workforce to understand what causes our disparity and recognising the lived experiences of those from our Black communities.
“We have established an Independent Scrutiny Panel, chaired by a member of our community and with participants from a wide and diverse range of our communities, who review stop and search records and body worn video of a number of encounters on a quarterly basis. These reviews and relevant feedback are provided to the Force and published on our website. A similar scrutiny panel is held by the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner.
“We are also keen to hear from those people who have been stopped and searched, so have created a survey that encourages people to provide us with feedback on what we have done well or could do better.
“It is critical that we are open and transparent with our stop and search data and this is published on our website, including an overview infographic available here: https://www.dorset.police.uk/police-forces/dorset-police/areas/stats-and-data/stats-and-data/stop-and-search-performance-report/
“We are determined to eliminate disparity in our use of stop and search and will continue to work with our communities and workforce to learn and reflect on how we can achieve this collective goal.”
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