Labour Research February 2000

Law Matters

Stop and search

A study, commissioned by Scotland Yard, has found that the overuse of the power to stop and search young Asian men could have the effect of criminalising them, particularly in areas suffering from high levels of economic deprivation.

Whilst young Asian men are much less likely to have criminal records than their white counterparts, the study found that they had attracted higher levels of police attention and were thus more likely to be searched.