Police officers warned 'not to bring bad energy' to stop and search as Met launches overhaul
27 February 2025, 00:01 | Updated: 27 February 2025, 06:38
The Metropolitan Police has announced the publication of a new 'Stop and Search Charter', marking the latest step in Sir Mark Rowley's attempt to overhaul the force.
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The new rules, published on Thursday, are an attempt to increase transparency within the force, tackling what is widely considered to be policing’s most contentious tactic.
It's the first time a formal set of commitments on how Stop and Search is carried out has been agreed to and published in this way.
The charter, which was created alongside London communities, "is the product of a year and a half of engagement with more than 8,500 Londoners of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds," the force says.
The final charter was led by 80 young people aged between 16 and 23, with the group invited to New Scotland Yard to interpret feedback in a bid to hone and shape the final document.
Respondents said officers should be “less aggressive in their approach and make sure they are not bringing bad energy” to searches, the Times reported.
They also wanted to “prevent embarrassment and trauma” by making searches more targeted.
Read more: Human remains found in search for woman murdered by husband 12 years ago
According to the Met, polling shows that up to 68 per cent of Londoners support the use of Stop and Search in the capital, with force highlighting that over the past four years, 17,500 weapons were seized as a result of stop and search - including at least 3,500 in 2024.
Currently, only 3 per cent of stop and searches result in a weapon being found and seized, Home Office statistics show.
Stop and Search has long been considered a contentious issue. Support for the initiative varies depending on the community, with many black Londoners flagging the searches create tensions between their communities and the police.
However, "people living in these communities, which are often among those that suffer most from serious violence and drug-related crime, also tell us that they want us to do more to keep them safe," the Met said on Thursday.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “Stop and search is a critical policing tool. Done well, it stops those intent on causing death, injury and fear in our communities. It takes dangerous weapons and drugs off our streets and in doing so, it saves lives.
“Done badly, it has the potential to burn through trust with those we are here to protect, undermining our founding principle of ‘policing by consent’ and damaging our efforts to keep the public safe.
“The charter is not about doing less stop and search. It is about doing it better by improving the quality of encounters, informed by the views of the public it is intended to protect.
The charter includes commitments focussing on the quality of encounters, making sure that officers do Stop and Search with professionalism, showing basic forms of respect.
Communication and tone also feature heavily, adding officers need to "understand what it feels like to be searched" and should prioritise building relationships with the community.
It also includes improved training for officers, including communication training and increased confidence in de-escalation and humility.
Sir Mark Rowley continued: “Many of our officers already use their powers in this area very well. They show empathy, they de-escalate and they understand the impact that being stopped and searched can have. They do all that while still recovering dangerous weapons and seizing drugs.
“The charter commits us to supporting all our officers, through improved training, more supervision and better access to technology, so they can meet that high standard their colleagues are setting.
“It also gives the community a greater role in the oversight of how, when and where stop and search is used which we hope will help to build trust in a policing tactic that, so often, has been at the root of mistrust.
The creation of a Stop and Search Charter was recommended by Baroness Casey in her 2023 review into the culture and standards of the Metropolitan Police.
The extensive engagement that led to its creation and publication included events held in all 32 London boroughs, three events at New Scotland Yard and open public online sessions.
The themes that emerged from those engagement events were tested against a wider audience of 8,500 Londoners in a series of surveys.
Sir Mark added: “If we are to take the fight to those intent on causing serious violence, fear and intimidation across London then stop and search must form part of that effort. If we allow its contentious nature and the concerns associated with it to force us into doing less of it, then only the criminals win.
“This charter is particularly powerful because it has been written with communities. We’re immensely grateful to all who stepped forward to work with us. We are committed to this change and to further rebuilding trust by continuing the conversations that have made it possible so far.”
