Gloucestershire County Council
Written question to the Leader
Leader of the Council
It is well known that a black person is six times more likely to be stopped & searched by Police in Gloucestershire. There have been appx. 200 related complaints over the last decade.
Each complaint should have invoked a Community Trigger to engage community scrutiny. But the Constabulary appears to have suppressed each and every one, resulting in no community scrutiny whatsoever.
After an upheld complaint by Stroud Against Racism, the Constabulary has now changed their Terms of Reference (without consultation) to remove reference to Community Triggers.
This change undermines agency of members of the community (particularly people of colour) in challenging the acknowledged disproportionality in the use of these powers. It is also contrary to the Constabulary's public facing Stop & Search Policy.
Because the PCC believes these are operational issues, we have asked the Constabulary for an explanation, as required by the Best Use of Stop & Search Scheme which they claim to comply with. No response has been forthcoming.
Therefore, the question; Please would you ask your Police & Crime Panel to scrutinise these decisions (or advise on any other action that could reasonably be taken) as they appear to be a clear cut example of Institutional Racism?
Gareth Kitchen Green Party Candidate on behalf of Stroud Against Racism
More background here: https://write.as/glospolicess/gloucestershire-police-freedom-of-information
[update 21-Mar-2024]
[update 4-Apr-2024]
