Harrow Police accused of disproportionate use of stop and search (From Harrow Times)

Harrow Police accused of disproportionate use of stop and search

5:08pm Monday 15th March 2010 in

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ALMOST five times as many black people as white people were searched by police in Harrow in 2008 to 2009, according to a watchdog.

The figure places the borough tenth in London for what the Equality and Human Rights Commission claims is disproportionate use of the power.

Harrow officers carried out an average of 4.8 searches on black people for every search on a white person, compared to a Met police average of 4.4.

The commission is warning police forces around the country they could be discriminating against ethnic minority groups and is hinting at the possibility of prosecutions under the Race Relations Act for the worst offenders.

The Met is ninth on the list and is not one of four named by the body as the most disproportionate.

Commissioner Simon Woolley said: “There is little evidence to suggest that targeting black people disproportionately with stop and search powers reduces crime.”

He added: “It is unrealistic and unhelpful to demand that policing should be perfect.

“However, police services should strive to work fairly and effectively while respecting basic human rights and discrimination law. Only then can they be said to be ‘good enough’.”

The Harrow Times has contacted Harrow Police for a comment and is awaiting a response.