Following a stop and search encounter, police officers give a card that contains a QR code which links to an explanation of stop and search powers, a person’s entitlements, and an invitation to join the community scrutiny panel.
| Does it work? |
Untested – new or innovative
|
|---|---|
| Focus |
Prevention
|
| Topic |
Diversity and inclusion
Ethics and values
|
| Organisation | |
|
HMICFRS report
|
|
| Region |
Eastern
|
| Partners |
Police
|
| Stage of practice |
The practice is at a pilot stage.
|
| Start date |
|
| Scale of initiative |
Local
|
| Target group |
Adults
Children and young people
General public
Offenders
Race/ethnicity
Victims
|
Aim
To increase the diversity of Community Scrutiny Panel members by engaging with individuals subject to a stop and search, who are more likely to understand and relate with those being searched.
Intended outcome
- Increased proportion of ethnic minority members of the stop and search Community Scrutiny Panel.
- Greater scrutiny and understanding within the panel.
- Improved legitimacy.
Description
The card was designed by the force. It details a person’s entitlements on one side and has a QR code on the other that links to the force website page. The website explains:
- police powers
- force Stop and Search data
- explanation of what the community scrutiny panel do
- how to join the panel as a member
The card is given to individuals after the completion of their stop and search encounter with the police. It is the size of a bank card for ease of storage.
All body worn camera (BWC) stop and search encounters are viewed by the supervisor and they have a compliance tick box to complete. This also assists the officer with finalising the encounter in a positive manner.
Evaluation
An impact evaluation is being planned and will be led by Cambridgeshire Constabulary. The demographics of the Community Scrutiny Panel members will be compared before and after the initiative is up and running. Focus groups and surveys will be used to ascertain if panel members feel any influence on its membership.
Printing of the cards will be completed in September 2024, distribution in November 2024 and evaluation in April 2025.
Overall impact
Officers have stated that it does assist with the ending of the encounter as it is a talking point in which to finish the stop and search process.
During the pilot, the number of officers that gave a person a card was limited. Therefore, the supervisor review check list was updated to note whether the card was provided. This has enabled the force to target further training in the areas where required.
Learning
- The initial pilot resulted in feedback from the officers distributing the cards who experienced nervousness that it would encourage a greater number of the community to complain. Wording on the card was amended to mitigate these concerns.
- Compliance rates on the distribution of the QR Card was small and therefore was incorporated into the supervisor check list to enable the officer to give and explain the Community Scrutiny Panel card. The collection of this data will enable the force to check whether individuals and teams are compliant and offer further training with them if necessary.