Concerns raised over new stop and search charter for Bedfordshire

StopWatch, a national campaign group, said government figures show Black people in Bedfordshire are three times more likely to be stopped and searched under Section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act than white people.

It said that in 2023/24, 12 per cent of those stopped were Black, compared with 6 per cent of the county’s population. White people accounted for 48 per cent of stop and searches but make up 72 per cent of the population.

The group said the evidence of racial disproportionality is “very much actual as opposed to merely perceived” and described the disparities as “clear-cut.”

But Superintendent Ian Taylor, Bedfordshire Police’s lead for stop and search, said the force has one of the lowest disproportionality ratios in the country but accepts more work is needed.

StopWatch said the charter points people towards existing complaints procedures but fails to address the reasons many incidents are never reported. It highlighted that while the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) oversees the system, most complaints are still investigated by the police themselves, investigations can take a long time, and complaints are rarely upheld. Even when they are, officers rarely face serious disciplinary action.

The group also criticised the charter’s claim that it goes beyond the standard GOWISELY framework, arguing that its measures “simply repackage existing policing protocol” such as the requirement to explain the grounds for a search.

On use of force, StopWatch said Bedfordshire officers used force in 41 per cent of all stop and searches, despite the most common reason being drugs and only 14 per cent of encounters leading to arrest. The group described this rate as “striking,” and highlighted the impact on vulnerable groups.

It added officers used force against 1,100 minors, including eight children under 11, and 27 per cent of use-of-force reports involved individuals with a recorded mental health condition. StopWatch said this “traumatic impact” was not reflected in the force’s operational approach.

The group also questioned whether the charter’s reliance on scrutiny panels would lead to meaningful change. It warned that such panels risk becoming “tick-box exercises by a self-selected sympathetic panel” if communities do not trust the police, and argued that “targeted recruitment campaigns” alone would not rebuild that trust.

StopWatch also reiterated its long-standing position that Section 60 powers should be repealed, arguing that suspicionless searches are incompatible with fair and proportionate policing.

Finally, the group said the data are not historic but current, showing that “lessons still have not been learnt” from major inquiries including the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and the Casey Review.

The PCC’s office (OPCC) said the charter sets out people’s rights during stop and search and explains how the force’s use of these powers will be independently scrutinised.

The Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel is led by an independent chair, with members appointed through an application and interview process. The OPCC provides administrative support but does not direct the panel’s work.

A smaller team within the panel examines stop and search data for any signs of disproportionality and publishes reports every three months on the PCC’s website. Four young people have been recruited to strengthen youth involvement, and all panel members receive training and IOPC-led refresher sessions.

When Section 60 powers are authorised, the panel chair and vice-chair are informed and extraordinary meetings can be called to review body-worn video footage.

Policing ethics advisor Montell Neufville, who has worked nationally on community scrutiny, described Bedfordshire’s Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel as “one of the best in the country,” noting that it samples body-worn video monthly rather than quarterly, which goes further than most forces.

However, he said the public should be notified in real time when Section 60 powers are in place, and warned that youth engagement must be properly independent to be effective.

Superintendent Ian Taylor said: “Currently we have the fourth lowest disproportionality ratio out of forces across England and Wales, but we know that there is still more to be done, and we take our responsibilities in relation to stop and search and use of force very seriously.

“We have recently commissioned an academic review to assess stop search disparity in Bedfordshire, and we are now reviewing the results of that.

“We also undertake a monthly analysis of our stop and search activity, examining crime type, intelligence, offender and victim data to ensure that we can understand any disproportionality and explain this to our scrutiny panels. We then do a further, deep review on any disproportionality which cannot be explained by these factors.

“The positive outcome rate for all stop and searches in Bedfordshire over the past 12 months is 39 per cent. This is in line with national measurements.

“Whenever someone under 18 is searched, officers consider immediate safeguarding. This is then subject to a review from our Public Protection Unit as to whether further support is needed. This approach was identified as promising practice during the most recent HMICFRS PEEL inspection.

“Use of force following stop search is mainly in relation to handcuffing. This is often necessary to ensure that safe searches are conducted. The appropriateness of handcuffing is also one of the review and grading criteria that our internal and community scrutiny panels focus on.”

Superintendent Taylor said the force uses subject matter experts to review use of force and encouraged members of the public to find out more about scrutiny panels via the Bedfordshire Police website.

StopWatch said the charter does not go far enough to address structural issues in stop and search or use of force.

It argued that the force’s current track record shows that “significant force-level changes are necessary” to meet the principles of proportionality, necessity and fairness set out in the charter.

PCC John Tizard responded: “The charter marks a major advance and puts the rights of citizens at the forefront. It reflects best practice nationally.”