`Abdication of leadership` over stop and search, says Paddick

Politicians and senior police officers are afraid to tackle the realities of stop and search because they fear crime will rise significantly if they do, a former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has claimed.

Brian Paddick, the Liberal Democrats’ candidate for Mayor of London, accused the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of an “abdication of leadership” over stop and search, a tactic he says is discriminatory and has damaged community relations.

ACPO said it recognises the impact the tactic can have on communities and is committed to “understanding, explaining and minimising disproportionality at a local level”.

Mr Paddick, who retired from the MPS in 2007, also told Police Professional ACPO officers in the MPS should forgo taxpayer-funded luxuries so the force can afford to fund more frontline officers.

He also questioned the commitment of some ACPO officers to encouraging junior ranks to take equality and race relations seriously, the wisdom of changing the remit the MPS’ Trident command and the idea of direct entry into the police service.

Discussing stop and search, Mr Paddick suggested there is concern of a repeat of events in the wake of the Macpherson report, with a reduction in the use of the tactic resulting in rising crime as offenders exploited the situation.

“Individual officers felt they were being accused of being racist, and they backed away from stop and search,” said Mr Paddick.

“I think black criminals thought that maybe they could exploit the situation that officers wouldn’t challenge them, particularly on stop and search, because they could then accuse the officers of being racist.”

Current MPS commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has said the force needs to be “smarter” with its use of stop and search.

In a statement, ACPO said stop and search is “an invaluable tool in the fight against crime” and the new ‘Next Steps’ programme developed by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) was allowing the power to be used more effectively and with the support and understanding of communities.

As part of his election campaign, Mr Paddick has pledged to put 1,700 officers back on the streets of London and says some money should come from that spent on transporting and accommodating MPS ACPO officers.

“Bearing in mind the economic situation that we are in how can it still be justified for every ACPO officer in the Met to have a chauffeur driven car available to them 24/7?,” said Mr Paddick.

He also said the provision of “luxury central London apartments” was unnecessary given the salaries of senior officers and that standard class in trains is adequate for them to use, especially given the difference between the price of that and first class and the choice between such luxuries and cutting back on operational police officers.

The MPS said the provision of vehicles for ACPO rank officers is part of their agreed terms of employment and they are often required to make sensitive operational telephone calls that could not be made on public transport and need to carry sensitive and classified papers.

“In addition seven ACPO officers occupy roles that are, by way of security assessment, at personal risk and the posts therefore require the provision of safe and secure transport,” the MPS said.

It said changes had been proposed so only ACPO officers assessed as being at personal risk would have dedicated drivers and it would “continue to review the use of vehicles to ensure that it reflects operational need and the best use of resources”.

The MPS added there are 26 drivers available to ACPO officers, reduced from 30 and due to be reduced again to 19.

For the full interview with Brian Paddick, see this week’s issue of Police Professional, available in print and online from March 8.