Suella Braverman urges forces to ‘ramp up’ stop-and-search measure
Suella Braverman has urged police leaders to “ramp up” the use of stop-and-search powers in order to prevent more knife attacks across England and Wales.
The Home Secretary sent communications to all 43 police forces in England and Wales, emphasising the need to end the “dangerous culture” of carrying weapons.
She also called on forces to quickly release bodycam footage to prevent police officers from being subjected to “trial by social media.”
But critics say the measure unfairly targets ethnic minorities.
In England and Wales, the police have the authority to stop and search individuals or vehicles if they have reasonable grounds to suspect the presence of weapons, drugs, stolen goods, or items that could be used for criminal purposes.
New government data reveals that over 100,000 weapons have been removed from UK streets since 2019 through various strategies, with almost half of them being seized during stop-and-search operations, leading to over 220,000 arrests.
In a press release to forces, Braverman said: “My first priority is to keep the public safe, and people who insist on carrying a weapon must know that there will be consequences.
“The police have my full support to ramp up the use of stop-and-search, wherever necessary, to prevent violence and save more lives.”