Most police forces in England and Wales are treating people fairly and ethically; according to a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC),. However, HMIC found that this was a mixed picture overall when the use of stop and search and the way black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) officers and staff were treated in disciplinary matters were taken into account.
The Legitimacy inspection examined all 43 forces in England and Wales on whether they operate fairly, ethically and within the law, how they engage with their communities and their use of stop and search and tasers. Some 37 police forces were graded as ‘good’, and one police force, Kent Police, achieved an ‘outstanding’ grade. Additionally there were five police forces that were graded as ‘requires improvement’, none was ‘inadequate’.
Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Stephen Otter, who led the inspection, said: “The majority of police forces demonstrate fair and ethical behaviour; the public expect no less. However, all the good work that we’ve seen forces are doing to engage with their local communities risks being undermined if they continue to fail to get stop and search right. This is the third time we’ve looked at stop and search in the last three years and although there is some improvement, it’s not happening fast enough. This is inexcusable given that it is one of the principal indicators of police legitimacy.
“In this inspection, we found that police use of stop and search was declining: police officers need to be given the confidence to use this policing tactic correctly. Additionally, too many forces are still not recording the reasonable grounds for stopping a person – in one force, almost two thirds of the records we reviewed did not record this detail. I am frustrated by the apparent lack of commitment by chief constables to ensuring stop and search is used properly and legitimately, and I am looking for police leaders to take action to address this within the next three months.”
HMIC was disappointed to find that far too many forces were not complying with the Home Office and College of Police’s Best Use of Stop and Search scheme, despite all chief constables having signed up to the scheme. Thirteen of the 43 police forces are not complying with three or more of the five requirements of the scheme. HMIC will revisit these forces within six months to determine what progress they have made.
In a first inspection of the use of tasers, forces had robust oversight systems in place, officers were well-trained, and use of tasers was fair and appropriate.
The other area of concern was a suggestion of possible bias in the way that BAME officers and staff were treated in disciplinary matters. The data showed differences in the way that BAME officers and staff appeared to be treated throughout the processes. Staff representative groups told inspectors that the perception of bias and discrimination exists. Data from forces was not consistent and complete enough to draw firm conclusions, HMIC adds.
