SCOTTISH LibDem leader Willie Rennie is calling on the UK Government to heed Scotland’s experiences of “poisonous” stop and searches.
He is to warn Prime Minister Boris Johnson that “industrial scale stop and search undermines community policing and poisons the relationship between officers and the public”.
Rennie’s intervention comes after the controversial expansion of police stop and search powers in England and Wales, which critics say disproportionately affects black people and undermines community relations.
Johnson has also convened a National Policing Board which includes Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sir Stephen House – the former chief constable of Police Scotland.
House was the architect of stop and search in Scotland, which at its peak saw seven-times as many searches take place than in England and Wales, according to Rennie. A public outcry in Scotland, along with expert consultation, resulted in a ban on police searches without justification.
“Industrial scale stop and search undermines community policing and poisons the relationship between officers and the public,” Rennie will say.
“The dismantling of Sir Stephen House’s industrial scale stop and search policy, thanks to the Liberal Democrats, has been a win-win for both people’s rights and police resources. Search numbers decreased dramatically, detection rates improved, and the fact every search requires proper justification means both the police and public have greater confidence that the system is proportionate and respectful.
“Experts have unanimously backed the new approach and the police agree that searching in Scotland has been transformed for the better. The Prime Minister shouldn’t make the same old mistake.”
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