Laura Richards, a former head of the Met Police homicide prevention unit has claimed stop and search makes gangs stronger not weaker. The method has been used by the Met in stabbing “hotspots” to catch knife carriers. Richards feels the indiscriminate searches are marginalising young men, and suggests that – as 90 percent of knife murderers are previously known to police – searching targeted youths would get better results.
On the surface this seems a great idea, with excessive police interference only worsening what are already poor relations with young people. The problem emerges when we look at who the targeted street knife criminals are: generally under 20 and disproportionately black. In a roundabout way, then, Richards’ target scheme is a form of racial profiling.
The risk of being accused of racist practice is not one the Met police are keen to take after all the internal reform it has gone through to promote diversity.
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