Capital sees rise in terror stops
By Anna Cavell
BBC London News
Somebody in London is stopped and searched every three minutes,
according to new figures obtained by BBC London.
The Metropolitan Police used section 44 of the Terrorism Act more than
170,000 times in 2008 to stop people in London.
That compares to almost 72,000 anti-terror stop and searches carried out
in the previous year.
The Met said anti-terror searches had been more widely used since the
planting of two car bombs in central London in July 2007.
Terror threat
Of all the stops last year, only 65 led to arrests for terror offences,
a success rate of just 0.035%.
Figures showed more than 60% of those stopped were white - about the
same as the proportion of white people in London.
“ It catches no or almost no terrorism material, it has never caught a
terrorist and therefore it should be used conservatively ”
Lord Carlile of Berriew
The Section 44 power allows police to search any person or vehicle
without the need for suspicion.
It was intended to be used for big events like the Queen's Speech or
just in designated areas where the terror threat was high.
Since February 2001, however, it has been in force throughout the Met
area. Where and when it can be used is decided by the police who have to
apply to the Home Office for approval for its use in a specific area for
up to 28 days.
Lord Carlile said it was time for the Met to reconsider how the power
was being used.
"The new Metropolitan Police commissioner should look at London again
from the viewpoint of section 44," he said.
"It catches no or almost no terrorism material, it has never caught a
terrorist and therefore it should be used conservatively.
'Vital tactic'
Section 44 is used outside London but far less. In 2007, all the other
police forces in England and Wales combined only used it 12,399 times,
compared to almost 72,000 in London that year alone.
A Met police spokesman said: "The threat to London from terrorism is
real and serious and these powers are a vital tactic in our counter-
terrorism strategy.
"They can disrupt and deter terrorist activity, create a hostile
environment for terrorists and provide visible reassurance to the
public."
He added: "No one community is singled-out or targeted, terrorists come
from all backgrounds.
The Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Metropolitan Police
were all unable to say whether anyone had successfully been charged or
convicted for terror offences as a direct result of section 44.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.
Published: 2009/05/06 01:49:04 GMT
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
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