November 2024: Postcode policing and the jackpot for justice
The Home Office's response to police failings across the country
Dear StopWatchers,
Welcome to our penultimate monthly roundup of policing news for 2024. Not a year goes by without us warning about a new stop and search power which risks trampling all over our basic human rights, so it’s refreshing to see the Equality and Human Rights Commission agreeing with us this time (for more, see below).
On the misconduct front, we’ve got officers assaulting members of the public, jailed for sexual abuse, and banned from policing for false accusations. Greater Manchester police abusing dispersal powers to drive hundreds of Gypsy Roma Traveller children away from the city centre. And Dorset’s chief constable apologising for racism in her force, coinciding with new reports on the public’s trust in the police hitting the usual lows.
What does the Home Office make of all of this? Rewarding persistently poor performance ahead of other public services, the department has pledged even more money to the police. Oh, and powers too, lest we forget the latest addition to our ever growing suite of ‘anti-social behaviour’ orders: the home secretary has announced what we can expect from the upcoming respect orders pilot.
Speaking of pointless legislation, we released our report making the case for repealing the suspicionless section 60 stop and search power on human rights grounds, 30 years on from its introduction, reported in The Times (£walled).
Watch our video debunking myths about the police power.
StopWatch also got a shout out at the Greater London Authority Police and Crime Committee meeting by assembly member Zoe Garbett on the findings of our Out of order report! Between joining our friends at the #SafetyNotSurveillance Strategy Day and the Challenging the Gang Label events, as well as holding the National Police Chiefs’ Council accountable for their Police Race (in)Action Plan, it has certainly been another busy month!
Postcode policing and the jackpot for justice
The notion that ‘the core duty of the police service is to protect the public’ grows more risible with every passing day, especially among those of us who feel the police’s wrath the most acutely. Even the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council has confessed that victim support is a postcode lottery, calling for a shake up of the ‘current policing model’ and ‘the way policing is organised’ (The Guardian, 18 Nov). The problem is, given the steady stream of police misconduct cases involving individuals at-risk, winning this lottery feels more like receiving a poisoned chalice.
Take Greater Manchester, for instance, where deputy mayor Kate Green is concerned by the justifications put forward by officers in reports of the force ‘defaulting’ to making arrests. As a result, the Green is unable to offer ‘complete assurance’ that police powers are used consistently and appropriately (Manchester Evening News, 19 Nov). One shred of solace from all this is that the force will no longer be carrying out strip searches for ‘welfare or self-harm purposes’ (BBC News, 18 Nov). In a bid to make sure that officers follow through, compliance officers will be paying a visit to custody suites going forward.
Then there’s Thames Valley police, who were at a loss for words when HMICFRS actually expected them to demonstrate that use of force in their custody suites was ‘necessary, justified and proportionate’. Unable to ‘assure itself or the public’ of this, the force deemed it appropriate to keep detainees ‘under restraint for long periods using handcuffs, spit hoods or leg restraints’ without custody officer supervision.
Alas, the most vulnerable citizens of West Yorkshire, Cleveland, Surrey, and Avon and Somerset police forces fare no better. All had too strong a penchant for strip searching children. New data released has shown that since 2020: 414 kids were subjected to this practice in West Yorkshire (Radar, 05 Nov); 198 in Cleveland (Radar, 05 Nov); 153 in Surrey (Farnham Herald, 04 Nov); and 86 in Avon and Somerset (Bristol Live, 04 Nov). In the latter, over half of the children were Black or had mixed heritage, and in more than half of strip searches nothing was found and no further action was taken.
Elsewhere, the Met live in hope that we’ll eventually forget about what they did to Child Q if they swear to strip children with greater oversight and authorisation in their Race Action Plan. Promises include: raising the threshold to unspecified new heights on child intimate part searches; adding to child stop and search safeguarding protocols; diversion, out of court disposal and deferred prosecutions for children ‘where appropriate’; scrutiny panels for Taser use and road traffic stops; getting around to actually collecting use of force data; and reviewing all More Thorough, Intimate Parts and section 60 searches. It’s not nothing, but the starting line is still nowhere near the horizon.
Joining the choir of police chiefs admitting to systemic incompetence, HMICFRS chief Andy Cooke declared that police forces have ‘failed to get the basics right’ as victims ‘continue to be let down’ (Evening Standard, via PA Media, 19 Nov). New data certainly corroborates this. In the year ending March 2024, 600 of these knights with shiny batons were sacked and barred from their role, up 50% from the year prior (Sky News, 05 Nov). Fret not, for some officers manage to bounce back: despite still facing a gross misconduct investigation after shooting Chris Kaba dead, the Met have rewarded Martyn Blake with a promotion (Independent, 11 Nov).
And with all this going on, the Home Office has seen fit to grant forces in England and Wales half a billion pounds of extra government funding next year, including over £260 million for the core grant and additional funding for neighbourhood policing, counter-terrorism and the National Crime Agency. None of which is enough for Met boss Sir Mark Rowley, who went on record to wail over a 3.5% increase in funds for this force (Sky News, 14 Nov). Surely he will be able to dry his tears with at least one of the £3.5 billion bank notes coming his way.
While inspectorate reports continue to find that forces are persistently failing to record disproportionate outcomes and use of force, home secretary Yvette Cooper has seen fit to emancipate officers from the woes of administrative tasks so that they can spend more time out on patrols. Strapping them with ever more gadgets, Cooper seems to be rubber-stamping further arming of the surveillance state in the name of streamlining policing. But rest assured, a dedicated Home Office unit will be introduced ‘to directly monitor police performance’ should anything fishy be afoot. If they do their job even halfway properly, they’ll struggle to keep up with the tsunami of misconduct and incompetence coming their way. The bigger challenge will be whether they will do anything about it.
Other news
Stop and search powers contravene human rights: in the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s response to the policing inspection programme and framework 2025-29 consultation, it warned that extending stop and search and serious disruption prevention orders 'risk interfering with people’s rights under Human Rights Act to freedom of expression (Article 10) and assembly and association (Article 11)’ (Wired Gov, 04 Nov).
Greater London Authority Police and Crime Committee: on use of force, the Met’s Louise Puddefoot said that the least intrusive measures should be used and that escalation only happens in a graduated way, but that ‘it isn't always possible’ and that the ‘safest’ option is to arrest in those circumstances. She conceded that not knowing the plans of protest organisers can lead to overpolicing. She said that the Met has used powers on locking-on protest tactic 12 times. She added that they haven’t yet made any applications for Serious Disruption Protection Orders as they haven’t needed to make use of them. On duty restrictions for misconduct, Simon Hill from the Met Police Federation claimed that ‘some of them will be deserved [but] a lot of them are not’ (London Assembly, 06 Nov).
Stratford and Warwick councillors seek to give police more power to disperse travellers (Stanford-upon-Avon Herald, 06 Nov).
AI used for reporting crimes: The Omnie Box is an AI-powered automated bot that allows the public to ask questions or report incidents, with conversations transcribed and saved in real-time, and alerts sent to the police control room via Wi-Fi or cellular networks (Emergency Service Times, 07 Nov).
Think tank on youth clubs and crime: Working paper finds youth club closures correlate with a 14% increase in the likelihood to commit crimes among young people (Institute of Fiscal Studies, 11 Nov).
Operation Sceptre: increase in weapons sweeps, stop and searches, patrols, knife amnesties and knife arches in Lancashire (Lancashire Telegraph, 12 Nov), Merseyside (The Guide Liverpool, 13 Nov), Yorkshire (WeAreBarnsley, 13 Nov), Hampshire and Merseyside.
Officer jailed for child sexual abuse on duty: Greater Manchester police officer Dean Dempster faces 9 years in jail after sexually touching a six-year-old when responding to a disturbance (PA News Agency, 13 Nov).
Nottinghamshire police annual report: reveals a decline in public trust, especially in urban areas and among racialised communities, with satisfaction dropping by 7.2% and 2.8%, respectively, while a 26% reduction in stop and search usage was accompanied by a 2.9% increase in positive outcomes (Westbridgeford Wire, 13 Nov).
Westminster Hall debate on police use of live facial recognition technology: MP Kim Johnson, MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP Iqbal Mohamed, MP Dawn Butler, MP Ayoub Khan, MP Bobby Dean and MP Shockat Adam raised how the technology disproportionately misidentifies Black people among other groups.
Dorset chief constable sorry for racism: Amanda Pearson apologised for racism within the force, acknowledging that Black people in the area are disproportionately stopped and searched, arrested and handcuffed, and called for a review of the systems and policies that perpetuate this inequality (BBC News, 13 Nov).
Officer sacked after viewing Sarah Everard records: PC Myles McHugh was sacked for gross misconduct after unlawfully accessing confidential files related to Sarah Everard’s case between 5 and 15 March 2021, shortly after her kidnapping and murder by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens (BBC News, 15 Nov).
North Yorkshire Police’s response to the Angiolini Inquiry: the force has pledged to treat indecent exposure, voyeurism, upskirting, abuse involving pictures or videos and other non-contact sexual offences as seriously as sexual assaults or rape (TP, 18 Nov).
Hotspot policing: Devon and Cornwall police force is increasing patrols after securing £1 million from the Home Office and £200,000 in match funding following increased patrols, Public Space Protection Orders and Community Protection Notice Warnings May - October targeting ‘anti-social behaviour’ (CornishStuff, 18 Nov). Cumbria (Emergency Services Times, 12 Nov), Sussex (The National, 20 Nov) and Dorset police are also deploying hotspot policing for ‘anti-social behaviour’ (Keep 106, 18 Nov).
Man falls from outbuilding after being Tasered: PC Liam Newman faces charges after tasering a 61-year-old man, causing him to fall from a shed during a foot chase in East London on 24 April 2022; he is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 19 Nov (Perspective Media, 18 Nov).
Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel: The force will not be introducing two recommendations from The Baird Inquiry: (1) designating certain cells entirely for women detainees because ‘if male cells become completely full it may from time to time be necessary to use some of those cells that have been dedicated for women to hold men’, and (2) when a female detainee presses a buzzer for assistance a female officer should attend. The force won’t be making recent strip search complaints public as they are ‘subject to the statutory complaints procedure’.
There won’t be an equality impact assessment for issues surrounding services for trans and disabled people in GMP custody. The force admits that crimes are underreported as members of the public are not confident that they will be taken seriously (Greater Manchester Combined Authority, 18 Nov).
Vulnerable children underprotected: a HMICFRS report has found that children who have special educational needs, disabilities, those who are neurodivergent, looked-after, out of full-time education, and Black children are disproportionately ‘at risk of harm from serious youth violence’, with children as young as 11 resorting to ‘carrying knives because they feel unsafe and see this as a form of protection’. HMICFRS says that this is due to structural issues of inequality such as poverty and racism (HMICFRS, 20 Nov).
Home Secretary announcement on respect orders: Respect orders will grant police and local councils the authority to ban repeat offenders from public areas (eg town centres and parks), and mandate rehabilitation programmes. These orders will be piloted before a national rollout and come with strict penalties for non-compliance, including arrest, prison sentences of up to two years, unlimited fines, and community service. Police powers to seize vehicles involved in anti-social activities are being extended, allowing immediate action without prior warnings.
Knife and offensive weapon sentencing statistics: Home Office data shows that from 2016-2024, the officer identified ethnicity of suspects for 21% of recorded offences was Black, while 55% were white. 33% of recorded offences were of 10-17 year olds, 23% were Black children and 54% were white children. Among the white children, 19% were put in immediate custody, while 24% of Black children were put in immediate custody. 20% of Black children were given a caution while 25% of white children were given a caution.
46% of all weapon offences were for possession; of all the types of weapon offences by Black people, 47% were for possession offences only and 5% were for ‘threatening offences only’; of all the weapon offences by white people, 25% were for possession offences only and 9% were for threatening offences only (Ministry of Justice, 21 Nov).
Increase in CCTV at bus stops in London: TfL and the Met are rolling out a trial in 15 additional bus shelters, claiming this will help to tackle violence against women and girls (WiredGov, 25 Nov).
Traveller children left stranded 100 miles away by police enforcing dispersal order: A 13-year-old girl and her 15-year-old brother were forced onto a train by Greater Manchester Police, leaving them stranded in Grimsby, 100 miles from their mother. The mother reported that her daughter was left traumatised, crying, and screaming when she called from the station (Daily Record, 25 Nov).
IOPC urges action to prevent adultification of Black children by police: The watchdog calls for reforms to address systemic biases and ensure proper protection for Black children in policing practices. Cases involving stop and search, use of force, and strip searches revealed officers frequently misjudged minors as adults, neglecting child safeguarding measures. Home Office statistics underscore this disparity, showing Black boys aged 10-17 experience stop and search rates of 106.3 per 1,000 individuals, significantly higher than the 27.1 per 1,000 for their white counterparts (Reuters, 27 Nov).
IOPC publishes revised race discrimination guidance: the IOPC calls for the removal of racial disparities in the use of police powers such as stop and search, use of force and strip searches, as well as tackling adultification bias and unfair treatment of children (Police Professional, 27 Nov).
Police officer investigated over alleged assault of actor Reece Richards: Richards alleged that officers mistook him for a suspect, used an incapacitating spray, and subjected him to physical assault, including being thrown to the ground and kicked. The IOPC is investigating the officer for potential assault and gross misconduct, and a second officer for potential misconduct (Border Telegraph, 27 Nov).
Merseyside police officers charged with assault of man in gay bar: Matthew Muskett and Zach Gell face charges of assault after allegedly attacking Sam Corner, a man with autism, ADHD, and a stoma bag. The prosecutor claims that Corner was left ‘in fear of his life’ during the incident, which culminated in him being found outside the venue in the foetal position, screaming (Liverpool Echo, 27 Nov).
Police watchdog criticised by former regional director: Sal Naseem, the former London regional director at the IOPC, criticised the watchdog leadership as risk-averse and prone to ‘groupthink’, stating that while differences were superficially welcomed, alternative approaches were often resisted. Naseem also characterised the policing system as ‘broken’ and in need of reform. Highlighting systemic issues, he referenced the Met’s handling of the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation, describing it as ‘marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership’ (hyphen, 27 Nov).
Ex-Met officer defends racist messages saying ‘but there are worse cops convicted of rape and murder’: Former Met officer Trevor Lewton unsuccessfully appealed to reduce his suspended sentence for sending grossly offensive racist messages in a WhatsApp group chat, including ‘Why do they put cotton wool in tablet bottles? To remind Black people they were cotton pickers before they were drug dealers’. The police investigation led to the conviction of six retired officers. Lewton pleaded guilty and received a six-week prison sentence and 12-month suspension (MyLondon, 28 Nov).
Girl dies on M5 leaving Avon and Somerset police car: A 17-year-old girl with autism has died after being hit by a car on the M5 motorway shortly after exiting a police vehicle. The IOPC said that she was handcuffed and that there was an officer sat beside her. The officers involved have been served misconduct notices (Cumnock Chronicle, 28 Nov).
Section 60 watch*
Merseyside
New Ferrey (09 Nov), Toxteth (24-25 Nov)
* This is not a comprehensive list
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