Stop and search powers are not effective in preventing crime and should only be used as a “last resort”, according to a new report.
Researchers at the University of Dundee and Edinburgh’s Napier University spent nine months evaluating the controversial stop and search scheme piloted by the Fife Division of Police Scotland.
While police officers claim stop and search is a vital tool for law enforcement and crime prevention, civil liberties groups and other organisations have raised concerns that the measure unfairly targets certain demographics.
And with that in mind, the new joint report while commending Fife for their efforts to make stop and search more effective and address public concerns concludes that the force should consider ending the practice of consensual stop and search altogether.
That is just one of 19 recommendations outlined in the report, which was put together by Dr Megan O’Neill from Dundee and Edinburgh Napier’s Dr Liz Aston.
Dr O’Neill said: “Those searched continued to complain about ‘random’ searches during the trial, suggesting that even with the pilot’s methods of making the option to refuse a consensual search explicit and the advice slips provided by officers, confusion and resulting bad feelings remain.
“In light of this, we would suggest Police Scotland move to a position of using legislative searches only.
“Only these can truly be ‘targeted’ at ‘the right people, right place and right time’ thereby enhancing accountability and public confidence, two key aims of the pilot.”
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Courier.