"I might be targeted again today": Concerns new stop and search powers will lead to greater discrimination
It follows the announcement of the government's new crime strategy.
Last updated 28th Jul 2021
A Londoner who was first stop and searched when she was just fourteen years old and wearing her school uniform - says increased powers for police to use the tactic could result in more distrust of officers among black and ethnic minority communities.
"It was really traumatising in the way that it was done," says 34-year-old Sarah Oyeleye - a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion educator from east London.
"My bag was literally poured out onto the street, and people were looking at me like I'm a criminal."
The new crime-fighting plan announced by Boris Johnson yesterday includes a permanent relaxing of conditions on the use of controversial Section 60 Stop and Search powers, effectively undoing reforms brought in Theresa May.
The wider use of the tactic is controversial because of concerns that it disproportionately affects black and minority ethnic communities - a UCL study last year found young black men in the capital are 19 times more likely have the tactic used against them than the general population.
It'll give officers the right to search people in a defined area during a specific time period when they "expect serious violence".
Sarah has been stop and searched three times in her life - and says it's difficult to know how to act in the presence of police, when she's doing everyday things like heading into work.
"You're like what am I doing that is making police officers think that I am a suspicious person? It doesn't give you a sense of ease when you're around police officers. It makes you more hyper-aware that you're just like gosh, I might be targeted again, I may be a target for them today."
Human rights organisation Liberty had said easing the restrictions on Stop and Search would "compound discrimination" in the UK.
Police forces say the measure gets thousands of weapons off the streets every year.