A survey of young people who said they had been stopped and searched by the police in London found that less than half of respondents (42%) said officers had explained why they carried out the stop and search during their most recent interaction [1].
The poll by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) published in April 2023 also found that just under two-fifths of those surveyed (39%) felt they were treated with respect by police during their most recent stop and search.
Safer School Partnerships are formal agreements between schools and police to work together to keep young people safe, reduce crime and the fear of crime in schools and communities.
Human rights organisation Liberty has raised concerns about the presence of police in schools, as it “increases the likelihood of minor behavioural issues being needlessly treated as, or escalating into, criminal justice issues” [2].
The London Assembly Police and Crime Committee will meet tomorrow to examine the impact of interactions with the Met on the trust and confidence of young people in London, including the role of safer schools officers and the use of tactics such as stop and search.
It is the second meeting as part of an investigation into preventing violence and protecting young people in London.
The guests are:
Part 1 – 10am to 11.45am
- Commander Kevin Southworth, Metropolitan Police Service
- Will Balakrishnan, Director of Commissioning & Partnerships, MOPAC
- Jodie Beck, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Liberty Human Rights
- Pauline Daniyan, CEO, London Youth
- Anthony King, Chairman, MyEnds
Part 2 – 11.45am to 12.30pm
- Joseph Lynch, Babel Theatre
- Josephine White, Little Acorn Services
- Zey Binboga, Displaced
- Jade Newton-Gardener, Fully Focused Productions/IMAP
- Tania Aubeelack, Unitas Youth Zone
- Louise McNestrie, Rise-up Programme Manager, London Youth
The meeting will take place on Tuesday 31 October 2023 from 10am, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- MOPAC, ‘We Are London’ Youth Survey 2021-22, April 2023, p. 24
- Liberty, Holding our own: A Guide to Non-Policing Solutions to Serious Youth Violence, 2023, p 44
- Read the agenda papers.
- Caroline Russell AM, Chair of the Police and Crime Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Police and Crime Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Emma Bowden in the Assembly Media Office on 07849 303897. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.