The first stop and search Jamal ever experienced was when he was 11 years old. Now, at 24, he has been stopped numerous times. Most recently, a stop became aggressive and he was hit in the face with handcuffs, but was charged and convicted with assaulting an officer. There is little evidence stop and search works in combating violent crime, but critics say it disproportionately targets young black men

This week the Guardian revealed that police attempts to tackle violent crime had brought about a sharp rise in the use of stop-and-search powers by some of England’s major forces. Boris Johnson, most likely to be Britain’s next prime minister, has said he wants to increase the powers further. Critics say stop-and-search powers disproportionately target black people and undermine community relations.

Jamal talks to Anushka Asthana about the impact a recent stop and search has had on him – a search that ended in him being charged with assaulting a police officer. Adam Elliott-Cooper discusses the history of stop and search, a policy he believes has always been racist, while Mike Shiner examines its efficacy. There is little evidence he says, to support the use of stop and search in combating violent crime.

For more information on stop and search, you can visit http://www.stop-watch.org/



*Jamal’s name has been changed.

