Black children are more than six times more likely than white children to be subjected to a strip-search by police, a new study shows. Of the forces in England and Wales that provided data for the study, 10 showed a disparity where black people were 10 times more likely to be strip-searched. Sussex police were 18 times more likely to subject a black person to a strip search.
Black adults were 4.7 times more likely than white adults to be told they must strip, and black children are 6.5 times more likely than their white counterparts.
And maybe that's a function of the things they are arrested for? Drugs charges and weapons charges, where a search is as much for the safety of the suspect as anything else.
The data covers the year until March 2023 and the trust says the data is another example of institutional racism, which most forces deny exists.
Dr Shabna Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, said: “Strip searches are inherently violent, humiliating and harmful, especially for children.
You know what else is 'violent, humiliating and harmful', Shabna? Being stabbed to death because you've inadvertantly crossed an invisible line.
“Strip-searching is such an invasive procedure, and when deployed with this level of racialised disproportionality, by police forces riddled with institutional racism, the harm reaches way beyond the individual child or person.
“If we actually want to build safer communities and safeguard our children, we need to invest in our social infrastructure and ensure people have the opportunities and resources to thrive and flourish.”
And maybe parents should check where little Ahmed has got those new trainers from?
The Met said it had made changes since the Child Q scandal:“We wish these types of searches were not necessary, but sadly we know there are children in London being exploited to carry drugs and weapons for others, as well as being involved in criminality.”
You're wasting your time, people like Shabna have an agenda to sell for their employers, and they'll sell it no matter what.
I'd like to know the success rate of those searches, categorised into drugs (value etc) and weapons.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to know the difference rates, if there are any, of offences committed by black children compared to white children.
ReplyDeleteSoT, my local bobby told me the majority of white youths involved in crime in his area, are eastern European 'regugees'.
Penseivat
"I'd like to know the success rate of those searches, categorised into drugs (value etc) and weapons."
ReplyDeleteMe too, but even if it's low, how can we measure the deterrant effect?
"SoT, my local bobby told me the majority of white youths involved in crime in his area, are eastern European 'regugees'."
Surely not Ukrainians, who are all saints, or so we are told (ignoring that before the invasion, we were told they were all neo-Nazis)?