WestMids - Stop and Search + survey

[Burnsy2023]

So West Midlands Police are looking for feedback on the below stop and search encounter.

I'd be interested to know what people think, stop and search is emotive.

Some details from the YouTube description:

We’re listening to people in Birmingham who have been stopped and searched by our officers as we strive to improve the use of our powers. Stop and search is a very important tool available to officers and has a role to play in our wider work tackling violent crime and make communities safer.

***Let us know your views on this stop and search - complete our quick survey here.***
https://westmidlandspolicepnn.researchfeedback.net/s.asp?k=159905454804

However, we understand being searched by a police officer could be a very uncomfortable experience. We recently hosted an event in which people who’ve previously been stopped on the streets of Birmingham were invited to tell us about the experience. Their feedback will be used as part of our police officer training programme and continual development in our use of stop and search powers.

This video shows a stop and search of a man by our officers who were called to the scene of a robbery on a Birmingham canal towpath. We'd been told by the victim that the offender was wearing a black jacket, had a beard and was of Asian appearance.

We stress to our officers the importance that the person being searched understands why they've been stopped, that they are listened to and speak to the person fairly and with respect. We won't always get it right. But we are striving to get better - and hearing your views is crucial for us to improve our service.

 

[Hades]

West Midlands Police:

We’re listening to people in Birmingham who have been stopped and searched by our officers as we strive to improve the use of our powers.

Also West Midlands Police:

Comments are turned off

 

[Burnsy2023]

They want to listen to people, not trolls

#EqualRightsForOgres

 

[dowie]

Seems like the guy was hostile from the start tbh... like they've explained the purpose, to be fair description was a bit broad: a male with a "dark jacket", "beard" and "asian" in Brum... LOL, you'd be stopping literally anyone you came across in some areas and to top it off he wasn't Asian, but fair enough, it was dark and robbery is serious enough that surely you'd just cooperate and not start some pointless argument.

"I get searched 3 times a day"... seems doubtful. Also the current BLM stuff isn't helping this sort of thing - you hear him mention "systematic".

 

[Chris Wilson]

How much wetter and on their knees can these apologists get? Get your batons out and do some proper policing, instead of trying to be every ******* friend. Pathetic, absolutely PATHETIC.

 

[The Running Man]

Sadly certain types of crime necessitate this kind of behaviour.

They should be blaming the serial offenders not the police.

 

[Dis86]

That was some of the wettest policing I've ever seen.

 

[explicit4u]

Left my feedback

No issues with the stop other than the description of the person they're after, personally I don't blame the guy for thinking they made it up. If I was stopped for a similar vague description I'd have an issue with it too.

Would love the Met to do something similar.

 

[BowdonUK]

His claim he was stopped multiple times.. don't the police at least a temporary record the details of the person being searched?

If they did then if someone is being wrongly searched multiple times a week or month then that person should become less and less of a suspect... and they could be more easily eliminated by them telling their name early on to see if it matches any of the current details.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Meh, we just need more CCTV, then we won't need to stop and search anyone..

 

[deuse]

The officers talked to much and the persons hands should have been cuffed at the back.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

stop and search isn't a problem really IMO, if you have nothing to hide then it should be fine with no questions asked. If people just co-operated better then there wouldn't be a problem.

Only the people with something to hide should be against it.

 

[Tom_ed1987]

Seems fine. He matched the vague (presumably, as it was dark) description given - who really cares if he was actually Asian. Presumably he was in the area, they were searching him looking for specific things that were stolen (wallet, Iphone7).

The people who have a problem with this are the problem.

 

[Lopéz]

I would have cooperated with the officer, as I would have known that I was not the suspect they were looking for. The whole thing could have been over very quickly.

I haven't ever been stopped and searched on foot, though I have in a car or whilst parked in a car park. Again, no drama when you haven't done anything.

 

[Semple]

Sadly certain types of crime necessitate this kind of behaviour.

They should be blaming the serial offenders not the police.

This is a good point. If you're out wandering the streets past midnight, and a robbery has recently happened then you're going to be a suspect.

Left my feedback

No issues with the stop other than the description of the person they're after, personally I don't blame the guy for thinking they made it up. If I was stopped for a similar vague description I'd have an issue with it too.

Would love the Met to do something similar.

I guess one way to combat this is for the police to write it down as soon as they hear the info, that way if they want to search a member of the public and they challenge the description then the police can show some written evidence of the description rather than citing it from memory. At least that way the member of public will at least feel that they're not just using an on-the-spot description of the person being searched as if to justify it further.

I would have cooperated with the officer, as I would have known that I was not the suspect they were looking for. The whole thing could have been over very quickly.

I haven't ever been stopped and searched on foot, though I have in a car or whilst parked in a car park. Again, no drama when you haven't done anything.

I too as a white male would have cooperated with the officer, i've never been searched on foot either, but i do remember when i was 17 and had a car and was parked up in a car park with a load of mates the police decided to do a search of the cars (UV light, i guess checking for traces of drugs). I had no problem with it, albeit was bricking it a bit as i'd only just bought the car, and you don't know what previous occupants may have done in the car.

I guess the frustrating part they probably feel is being targeted, if he is being stopped for a search once a night then either he looks incredibly dodgy, or he always happens to be in the wrong areas at the wrong time. At which case it begs the question of why are you even hanging around an area which is clearly suspect.

 

[KingOfTheDaves]

ITT: White guys who have never been 'stop and searched' claiming stop and search isn't that bad!

It is not a question of how inconvenient a single stop and search is. It is a question of how inconvenient it is when it happens to a person several times a year which is the case for a lot of young men from minorities.

Clearly the claim of being stopped 3 times a day is crap, but if it happened to me as little as 3 times a year, I would get ****** off after a while.

 

[chroniclard]

I have never been stopped and searched in 46 years. #WhitePriviledgeFTW

 

[Theophany]

How much wetter and on their knees can these apologists get? Get your batons out and do some proper policing, instead of trying to be every ******* friend. Pathetic, absolutely PATHETIC.

 

[Mr Blonde]

I have never been stopped and searched in 46 years. #WhitePriviledgeFTW

I and many other whites were 'profiled' in the late 80s and early 90s and stopped and searched back then. The IRA were bombing central London at the time and the bombers were, as far as I know, all white. It didn't bother anyone at all and in fact, rightly, was seen as helping the police.

As to the video, other than it being a year and a half old, it looked totally above board and a perfectly acceptable tactic to use in my book.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

ITT: White guys who have never been 'stop and searched' claiming stop and search isn't that bad!

It is not a question of how inconvenient a single stop and search is. It is a question of how inconvenient it is when it happens to a person several times a year which is the case for a lot of young men from minorities.

Clearly the claim of being stopped 3 times a day is crap, but if it happened to me as little as 3 times a year, I would get ****** off after a while.

You would be bothered about 3 times a year if it meant you where safer on the street? get out.

They could stop n search me 20 times a year and I wouldn't care of it meant a safer street.