Met Police criticised over inconsistent use of stop and search

In its response to the government's consultation on the practice, the assembly's police and crime committee has issued concerns about the "patchy" nature in reducing the use of stop and search across boroughs in the capital, despite a 40 per cent reduction London-wide over the last year.

The committee's criticism follows a pledge by the Met in 2012 to ensure the tactic was better targeted for use in combating serious and violent crime and was also monitored. This came in response to concerns that young black men and teenagers were being disproportionately targeted.

But the committee noted that a year on, half of all searches are still for less serious drugs offences while just seven per cent of searches for possession of firearms or offensive weapons result in an arrest.

The committee has flagged up a number of borough-wide monthly fluctuations. For example, in May this year, Lewisham, Waltham Forest and Enfield saw falls of at least 25 per cent in the number of stop and searches compared to the previous month, while Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Brent saw increases of more than 30 per cent.

The success rate of searches also varied. Also that month, Lewisham, Richmond and Kensington and Chelsea had a positive outcome rate from stop and searches of around 15 per cent, just half the rate of some other boroughs.

The committee’s response to the government consultation will be discussed at a meeting of its stop and search working group today (4 September).

In a letter to the Home Office being presented to the working group, Joanne McCartney, chair of the Assembly's police and crime committee, stated she was particularly concerned about “poor practice by police officers during stop and searches”.

She added: “We know that the quality of contact between the police and the public is the most important factor in determining police legitimacy and that poorly managed encounters depress public confidence.”

The committee is commissioning research asking young people who have been stopped and searched to what extent a London-wide reduction has changed their attitude to the police.

Research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2010 found that black people were at least six times more likely to be stopped and searched in England and Wales than a white person.

A Met spokeswoman said: "We have worked hard to establish robust scrutiny processes. We know that the public supports stop and search and it remains a vital tool in reducing crime but it must be seen to be used in a fair and justifiable manner and officers must be accountable for their actions.