Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 5 February 2019.
How many complaints has the Metropolitan Police Service received in each year since 2013 about incidents where a member of the public has been stopped and searched when a PACE section 60 order is in place? Could you provide a breakdown per month for each year?
The number of stop and search complaints received by the police has been steadily decreasing over the last few years. There are a number of possible reasons for this decline, including the ongoing roll out of training for all new and serving police offices on the use of stop and search powers. The introduction of body worn video has been a game changer in that if a complaint is received the footage can be reviewed promptly and the issue resolved without a lengthy investigation. This provides a vital tool in holding the police and public to account.
The MPS complaints recording system does not routinely record under which section of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) the search took place. The system relies on this being specified within the complaint. It is not therefore possible to provide data on how many complaints specifically related to Section 60 stops.
The table below shows complaints received relating to stop and search between 2013 - 2018
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Allegations arising from Stop & Search
610
462
426
481
538
338
Total Allegations Record
12814
13228
12089
12672
11335
8879
S&S allegations as % of total
5%
3%
4%
4%
5%
4%