Audrey Ludwig of ISCRE
Ipswich: Figures show black people are more likely to be stopped by police
By Lauren Everitt
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
3:53 PM
BLACK people are nearly six times more likely to be stopped and searched by police in Ipswich than white people, figures revealed today.
The statistics, in a report to Suffolk Police Authority, show there were a total of 735 stop searches carried out in Ipswich in the 12 months from July 2011 to June 2012 – 118 more than the previous year.
However, in Ipswich, 87 of the 735 stop and searches – nearly 12 per cent – involved members of the black community, who make up just 2.2pc of the borough’s population.
It is a figure that Jane Basham, Labour candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner election in Suffolk, said is unacceptable and “damaging to the trust and confidence that all communities need to have in the police service”.
She added: “There needs to be much more effective supervision of officers on this matter and I know that with the 20 per cent cuts to the police service that they have stripped out around 40 sergeants and inspectors.
“I’m concerned that it’s going to get worse because there’s not going to be that level of supervision I know is essential.”
In Suffolk, 3,384 stop searches were carried out – 128 less than the previous year - and 137 of which involved the black community, a total of four per cent.
Of all stop searches in Suffolk, 69pc resulted in no further action, eight per cent in advice being given and in eight per cent of cases arrests were made. In contrast, the proportion that resulted in arrest in black cases was 18 out of 137.
The main drivers for the 137 stop searches were reported as stolen property and drugs.
Tim Passmore, Conservative candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner election in Suffolk, said: “Stop and searches are a matter for the police and not one the police and crime commissioner would be directly involved with.
“I do think stop and searches need to be more evidence based and there needs to be greater transparency.
“People have got to have confidence in the police that it’s done in a fair, just and appropriate manner to people in all communities.”
Campaign group Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE) has raised concerns about the number of black and minority ethnic people being stopped and searched.
Audrey Ludwig, ISCRE’s director of legal services, said: “ISCRE believes that the ineffective, costly and humiliating dragnet approach of disproportionately using stop and search powers against specific sections of our community is classic unintelligent policing.
“It achieves little but worsening relationships between those communities and the police and that is why we are working with Suffolk police and community members to ensure that this tool is only used appropriately and lawfully”.
A Suffolk police spokesman said the constabulary is committed to dealing fairly with all sections of the community and is determined to increase trust and confidence in policing.
He added: “Stop and Search is a positive policing tool that has an important role to play in detecting crime and making our communities safer places to live.
“In areas where there are higher overall proportions of crime operational demands can influence figures.
“The number of people from a BME background who are actually being stopped and searched in the town is relatively low, therefore any slight increase in the number of people being stopped and searched can have a significant impact.
“Nevertheless we take this matter very seriously and continue to work with ISCRE, the Stop and Search Improvement Partnership, and the Stop and Search Reference Group to ensure the Constabulary’s use of Stop and Search is fair and effective.”
n Are you concerned by the figures? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail starnews@archant.co.uk
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12 comments
This so-called "survey" is all very well, but it conceals as much as it apparently shows. What is the age breakdown of the people who were stopped? Are young people or old people being "disproportionately" targetted? And what about gender? We should be told if members of one particular gender community are being pulled over more than another.
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bigger niche
Thursday, October 4, 2012
What I would like to know is why Audrey Ludwig & Jane Basham were so quiet during our recent spate of muggings where the victims were solely white? The Star wasn`t so keen to splash a `RACE` headline either when whites were getting mugged on a regular basis. We have got a level playing field here, I hope?
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Supernova6
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Jane Basham for Crime Commissioner - I don't think so !! She says lack of supervision - I am sure Police Officers know when they have grounds to stop search someone. My understanding is that the grounds to search are documented and so fully transparent !!!
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DirtyleedsHawks
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
To use your own statistics: If 8 percent of ALL stop and searches result in arrests and 13 percent (18 out of 137) of stop and searches of black people result in arrests. That means that there is a 62 percent greater chance of a stop and search of a black person resulting in an arrest than the stop and search of the average which of course would be even higher if compared to only white people (not all people). So if only 4 percent of the stop and searches are of black people then there is a compelling case to increase this stop and search ratio not decrease it.
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Big Spot
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
thanks to the dreadful political correct liberal people and that includes the media running this country from immigration to criminals they take the view that all is well if we appease them at the expense of the victims of crime and citizens of our country, the yobs white and black know that the system is under their control because they know how weak limp wrist-ed mam-by pamby politicians are only interested in votes to keep themselves in power and wealthy perks, and as for the police they have lost the plot by not applying the law of the land without interference from dangerous political correct people like Jane Basham, Labour candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner election in Suffolk, said it is unacceptable and “damaging to the trust and confidence that all communities need to have in the police service”.she means lets have more positive discrimination just to balance it up.
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peter wright
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Stop & search, if used properly, can be a very effective policing tool. If used disproportionately however, it can severely hamper service delivery, community cohesion and public confidence in the police. The point to note here is whilst a member of the black community in Ipswich is 6.4 times more likely to be stopped than a member of the white community, they are no more likely to get arrested. There is however tremendous and commendable work being done by the Stop and Search Reference Group which brings together the police and members of the public to address such dis-proportionality.
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Phanuel
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
If you want to play the statistics game, then obtain the the figures for the number of crimes committed by said black people and compare these with this report and you will have the reason.
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Kevin Smith
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The police are not racist, they only stop people if the are look or are doing something suspicious.
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RC
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
If the police have reason that a black person should be stopped and searched then so be it; they wouldn't just stop and search them 'because they're black' ,there would be a degree of reasoning and cause behind it - just the same as if they searched a white person. The Police just need to be left to do their jobs!
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Tom
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Jane Basham says in this report that of all the stop searches in Suffolk 8 percent of cases resulted in arrests. She also says that the proportion that resulted in arrests in black cases was 18 out of 137 She doesn't quote that figure as a percentage as it calculates at over 13 percent and shoots down her argument. It seems to me that the police are active in right areas. She says later in the article "I do think stop and searches need to be more evidence based" What more evidence do you need than that?
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Big Spot
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
We don't stop anyone on the basis of their ethnicity. It's based on descriptions given by witnesses and victims, and proximity to a recently-reported crime. If that happens to throw up an imbalance in the numbers, people will have to draw their own conclusions.
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PC Plod
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Is this not a case of playing about with statistics? 12% were from the back community so 78% were not.
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The original Victor Meldrew
Wednesday, October 3, 2012