Stop and search is discriminatory, so why is it on the rise in the UK?

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Stop and search is discriminatory, so why is it on the rise in the UK?

14 August 2019

By Today in Focus, The Guardian

This week the Guardian revealed that police attempts to tackle violent crime had brought about a sharp rise in the use of stop-and-search powers by some of England’s major forces. Boris Johnson, most likely to be Britain’s next prime minister, has said he wants to increase the powers further. Critics say stop-and-search powers disproportionately target black people and undermine community relations.

Jamal talks to Anushka Asthana about the impact a recent stop and search has had on him – a search that ended in him being charged with assaulting a police officer. Adam Elliott-Cooper discusses the history of stop and search, a policy he believes has always been racist, while Mike Shiner examines its efficacy. There is little evidence he says, to support the use of stop and search in combating violent crime.

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