The Use of Section 60 Powers in Brent
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doing long-term damage to community relations by normalising The use of section 60 negative police–youth interaction? Most people are used to living their powers in Brent whole lives without ever coming into oalition contact with the police; at one point C Patrick Jacobs considers the targeting of stop that was the norm, and in some communities it still is. However, and search in the London borough now, being stopped and searched by the the police if you are African Caribbean is the norm. What if the innocent person objects to the and continuous stops and searches and he hard man attitude to stop Stonebridge, Church End and responds with negativity? We can say and search is making a Wembley. purely from our experience as Tcomeback in Brent. With the The London Borough of Brent members of the Brent Stop and ustice change in top rank officers comes a (bordering Camden, Kensington and Search Forum that the innocents j completely new (although some Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, become criminalised by default, would say old and personal) view of Westminster, Barnet, Ealing and simply by going about their lives how a community should be Harrow) has extremely complex without the knowledge that a section policed. Brent for the past four years policing issues. However, instead of 60 power has been invoked, for up until 2010 had a Borough looking at the root causes of the whatever period of time and for Commander who came from the issues behind the majority of the whatever reason. riminal C area and knew it well. He knew problems, which are attributed to the where the so-called gangs were mostly African Caribbean youth Involving the community located, where to target and when to (problems such as cross-border gang Our organisation, Not Another Drop, invoke a section 60 (under the violence between south Kilburn and worked tirelessly over a period of Criminal Justice and Public Order Act Mozart, which are years to come 1994) stop and search. This power, two areas that to an agreement originally used for large gatherings straddle Brent and The innocents become with the previous such as football matches and Westminster), the Borough allowing stop and searches to take police resort to criminalised by default Commander place without any requirement of over-zealous stop to send us reasonable suspicion, is now and search notification when routinely rolled out in Brent if there initiatives. They throw out a net and a section 60 was invoked, in order THEMED SECTION: is a stabbing or a shooting, or if there pull everyone in, and then check the that we could send out emails to is intelligence that an incident could catch. schools and community groups take place. around the borough alerting them Criminalising the innocent that this power was in place. The Impact of section 60 The problem with such a method aim was to ensure that, if youth If the police have a he-man type of is that you will unintentionally were stopped, they would have prior attitude to policing, this can have net the ‘good’ with the ‘bad’. The warning of the situation, be prepared a devastating effect on the section criminalisation of the next generation and in turn not respond negatively or of the community directly affected of youth is being achieved by aggressively, therefore reducing the by the stop and search power. accident, or is it design? This is due possibility of them being arrested. Section 60 has a disproportionate mostly to lazy policing and the lack The police in Brent were on the effect on the young and disaffected. of good detective work. It is evident, road to what we thought was better A Superintendent or Borough when it comes to stop and search, policing, where they would consult Commander can invoke a section that it has simply become a numbers the community, inform the 60 in Brent at game – the more community and become almost part short notice. The you pull in, the of the community. The previous problem that we Section 60 has a more chance you administration understood that the ill have in Brent is disproportionate effect have of finding a feeling towards the police stopped that, even though criminal. communication, so they worked with the section 60 on the young and However, the the community to improve relations. is borough-wide problem that the High-ranking officers would bring in application, disaffected police have is their children out on marches against the focus seems how they are gun and knife crime and felt safe and to be on areas that are historically treating the youth who are not comfortable walking with all African Caribbean, such as criminals. What steps are the police members of the community. The Harlesden, Willesden, South Kilburn, taking to make sure they are not powers that be need to be wary of 22 ©2011 Centre for Crime and Justice Studies 10.1080/09627251.2011.646187 rCJM No 86.indd 22 01/12/2011 11:43:50 complacency as some parts of the above, the blanket use of these streets over those days of civil community have a way of biting powers is targeted disproportionately disobedience. Perhaps the hard man when it is least expected. on groups of disaffected youths who attitude of stop and search is not Hearelp subjectus to regularto speculativeinspir restrictede to e onlynduring one or two change - Further thoughts following searches. boroughs and is having a negative the riots Nor is it onlyth stop and search that effect on more people than we oalition It is quite amazing that this article is at issue here. We know that, for thought. C was originally concluded with the each80 stop that resultsAn in a search,niv ersarMy only disappointmenty is that A ppeal words ‘The community has a way there are many more where the the possibility of a good argument the of biting when least expected’. police stop, detain and question over police stop and search tactics You would not believe that it was innocent people before deciding not could be lost owing to the delight of written before the riots in August to search them. However, the the media when they saw buildings and 2011, which were triggered by the government announced earlier this being burned to the ground and shooting of Mark Duggan by officers year that the police would no longer people who seemed to be looting from the Metropolitan Police CO19 be required to record such incidents, high-end consumer goods. The good special unit, whilst supporting an known as stop and accounts. What fight seemed to melt away right in investigation effect this change front of our eyes. Yet this is only a ustice under Operation Deep in the innards is having on the momentary pause as far as we are j Trident in the feeling of concerned, because the police have Borough of of the crowds of harassment a habit of not being able to Haringey. amongst the distinguish the good from the bad Adding my multiracial, multi-aged younger when it comes to certain ten pence worth generation communities, and they will trip up at looters and rioters are riminal to the debate is remains to be some point. When the criminal C almost like people with genuine seen. Maybe some element of the riots has been weeded pouring a cup of of the resentment out and the people who were there water into the grievances and feeling of just because the social network told ocean, but to being badgered them to go and get free trainers are ignore the riots has already been left, we will be able to ask the key and subsequent looting is intensified by the knowledge that it questions, ‘why are you so angry?’, impossible, because deep in theTh e Centwillre nofo longerr Cr beime possibleand to Justicshow a e St‘whyudies do youis havece lebrso muchat ing its eightieth anniversary innards of the crowds of multiracial,year in record2011. of Ththe ronumberughout of encountersour hist oraggressiony we hatowardsve hadthe police?’a tr ackn record of policy multi-aged looters and rioters independencare some peoplee and have withresear the police.ch in tegrity. Our commitment to the evidence base people with genuine grievances This might have contributed to the Patrick Jacobs is Chief Executive of Not around increased stops and searchesmeans intensitythat we of thedo frustrationnot endorse shown by ‘flaAnothervour Dropof Communitythe mon Networkth’policy solutions. Our THEMED SECTION: and use of section 60. As indicatedcommitmen the peoplet to whoindependenc were out on the e means that we do not attempt to take the‘inside track’with the government of the day. Instead, we seek to focus on fact rather than myth, with the aim of inspiring enduring change. In 1931, the world was living through a major financial crisis.Eighty years on we face equally uncertain times that will be challenging and will need Takeindependen a look att athend crnewitical andthink improveding; the Ce ntre stands ready to meet this challengewww.worksforfreedom.org.while maintaining its tradition of honesty and working in the public interest.To do this, independent sources of funding are crucial; so we are We championask practiceing all those that meetswho suppor people’st our needsmission whetherand va luesin to help us by making a or outside of donathe criminaltion to our justice80th system.Anniversar Nowy A inppeal its third. year, we’ve given the site a major overhaul. Give it a try today. cjm no. 86 December 2011 You can make a donation by visiting23our website: www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/80thanniversaryappeal.html rCJM No 86.indd 23 01/12/2011 11:43:51.