Sajid Javid is to give police “hugely effective” stop and search powers to tackle the growing menace of knife crime.
The Home Secretary will today overturn two reforms made by Theresa May five years ago, allowing officers in seven regions to step up the use of the controversial tactic.
Lower ranked officers in the areas worst affected by violent crime will be able to sanction police to stop and search suspects in an attempt to remove knives from the street.
He has also made it simpler for police to use Section 60 powers of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 allowing them to stop and search in specific areas for a set amount of time if it is feared there is a likelihood of serious violence.
The move allows police to stop people and vehicles to carry out searches regardless of whether they have reasonable grounds for suspecting they will find offensive weapons.
In 2014, Mrs May, the then Home Secretary, curtailed stop and search tactics amid concerns they unfairly targeted people who were black or from minority ethnic groups.
Her reforms meant all forces required an officer of chief superintendent rank to sign off a Section 60 authorising searches because there were reasonable grounds to believe violence was going to take place.
Under today’s changes, a lower ranked inspector will be able to sign off the powers. It is estimated that this will result in at least 3,000 more officers being able to sanction the searches.
In addition, the degree of certainty required has been lowered, so that the authorising officer must reasonably believe serious violence “may” occur.
Mr Javid said: “Stop and search is a hugely effective power when it comes to disrupting crime, taking weapons of our streets and keeping us safe.
“That’s why we are making it simpler for police in areas particularly affected by serious violence to use Section 60 and increasing the number of officers who can authorise the power.”
Mrs May, who will host a summit on serious youth violence on Monday, said: “As a whole society, we also need to take a hard look at the root causes of these crimes so we can intervene earlier and stop young people from being drawn into violence in the first place.”
Section 60 is often approved for major public events, such as last year’s Notting Hill Carnival, or when police anticipate reprisal gangland attacks.
In 2017/18, police in England and Wales carried out 2,501 stops and searches under section 60, up from 631 in the previous year.
However, police stop and search activity has dropped significantly in recent years.
Mr Javid has backed the tactics since his appointment last year. He has already announced plans to widen the circumstances in which they can be deployed to combat acid attacks and misuse of drones.
The announcement forms part of the Government’s efforts to tackle surging violence after a spate of fatal stabbings prompted warnings of a “national emergency”.
There were 285 homicides where the method of killing was by a knife or sharp instrument in the year to March 2018 – the highest number since records started in 1946.
The Section 60 changes will initially apply in London, West Midlands, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Wales and Greater Manchester for up to a year.
Forces are expected to engage with communities on its use, and nobody should be stopped on the basis of their race or ethnicity, the Home Office said.
“Sajid Javid”
MUST BE FROM LIVERPOOL. DOESNT SOUND VERY “LONDONISH’…………
WAIT A MINUTE!!!
WASNT THAT THE NAME OF HENRYS’ TECH SUPPORT GUY????????
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sajid_Javid
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YA MISSED THAT “TONGUE IN CHEEK’ POKE AT HENRY DINT YA………….
“poor thang, it went right over er head’
No, I got it. Shoulda commented. Sorry.
🙂
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jus YANKIN YER CHAIN……….. NO APOLOGY NECESSARY……
IM IN A GOOD MOOD. I WOKE UP ABOVE GROUND……….
And please stay “above ground” for many decades to come.
🙂
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“Mr Javid said: “Stop and search is a hugely effective power when it comes to disrupting crime, taking weapons of our streets and keeping us safe.”
It’s a HUGELY EFFECTIVE POWER for rendering the population DEFENSELESS against their tyrannical ‘government’, @SSHOLE, and you damn well know it.
They were already totally screwed anyway… WHEN THEY GAVE UP THEIR GUNS.
idiots
Doesn’t anybody realize that cia sponsored bin laden was dead long before he was killed and that the unit that ostensibly killed him was killed shortly after the fake assassination was announced? 9/11 over and over again. Preach to an applauding congress, Netanyahu, terrorist.