There has been a lot of talk recently regarding Stop and Search Powers and the use of them. This intrusive tactic has been used by Police Forces all over the country for many years, but does it work?
Knife crime in Inner City London has gone through the roof during a time where Officers have been told to stop using their Search powers and in some cases disciplined for over use.
So if Stop and Search is reduced and knife crime grows, what is the answer to stopping young men stabbing each other?
Police Officers have had community relation sessions provided to them for years and years. Each force has spend plenty of money training officers to be more aware of community tension and respect for others.
So, if after all this time and after all this money why is knife crime is on the rise? What are Forces doing to prevent further increases? Are they going to bring back the Stop and search tactic to make sure these knifes are taken off the streets?
As a young probationer, it was exciting to be involved in looking for suspects whilst on patrol and searching people who were in “strange and questionable” situations. It was part of your Police training to learn this very important tactic and implement it successfully.
Always be courteous and always be polite, however due to the very nature of the beast people did not like you putting your hands in their pockets! This is understandable, however when a police officer is well within his powers to stop and search you it’s better to acknowledge this and allow the search to take place.
People do get angry and frustrated over the use of Stop and Search and I can see why. However people are not looking at the bigger picture, yes some may get stopped and feel they are being targeted but there is a reason for this.
Officers are more likely to be conducting this tactic in area known for knife crime or gang crime. It is very rare that individuals would be jumped on for no good reason. Most officers make a judgement call to stop someone and this is because of the intelligence given to them during briefings and highlighted throughout police stations.
Stop and Search is a tool that really needs to be used to combat knife crime and stop young males getting stabbed or worse killed. If a few innocent people get stopped and searched during that process then this should be something people are willing to sacrifice to provide a better and safer future for people of the UK.
