Camden New Journal - News: More blacks stopped by cops

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Camden New Journal - by PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 15 November 2007

More blacks stopped by cops

NEW police figures have revealed that black people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched by officers than whites and Asians.
The statistics, for the period from June to August, show the majority of searches are conducted on people aged between 10 and 24.
A recent internal report into Camden’s use of stop-and-search powers found that “more young men, and in particular young black men, are disproportionately stopped and searched under all stop-search powers,” “communities are likely to lose confidence,” and the searching of young Somali men in particular “is likely to damage any relationships that exist between those groups and communities that have little or no contact with police using these powers”.
But the searches also produce arrests, at a rate of about one for every 10 stops – a high return for any police operation.
On Friday, borough commander Mark Heath was called into the “dock” at the Town Hall to face charges placed by Camden schoolchildren of overusing the powers, as part of a choreographed exercise intended to introduce young people to the workings of the criminal justice system.
In a mocked-up courtroom and in front of visiting Crime Reduction minister Vernon Coaker, the chief superintendent was charged by his schoolgirl prosecutors with “harassing the young people of Camden by inappropriate use of stop-and-search”.
Year 9 pupil Michelle Hoang asked: “Do you think your officers stereotype young people,” prompting the response: “It may be that sometimes they do.
“We are committed to making it as good as it could be.”
He went on: “On occasions where violence is imminent, sometimes we have to be robust and direct.”

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