Scotland Yard’s war on violent crime has seen a 73 per cent increase in stop and search in London.
New figures show officers carried out 248,000 searches in the last year — an average of 679 a day in London — recovering a terrifying arsenal of weapons including zombie knives and guns.
In the year to April stop and searches rose by 30 per cent to 172,000, but large increases in recent months have seen year-to-year numbers surge. The 73 per cent increase in the tactic on London’s streets between October 2018 and September this year attracted an 18 per cent rise in complaints with 549, up from 467 the previous year.
Bodycam footage of encounters between police and suspects meant only 31 were upheld by the Met’s professional standards directorate.
Any rise in complaints above 10 per cent triggers a Home Office procedure where the Met faces greater scrutiny from local community groups.
Rising levels of gun and knife crime have resulted in 116 killings across the capital in this year, compared with 114 at the same point in 2018.
Police have used Section 60 powers after a violent incident, allowing random searches for weapons in a specific area for a limited period.
Commander Jane Connors, one of the Met’s most experienced violent crime officers, said: “Bearing down on violent crime is the Met’s top priority and we are confident that stop and search is a highly effective method.”
Ms Connors said the 18 per cent rise in complaints did not take into account the huge number of searches carried out in the same period.
If it did, it would equate to one complaint for every 307 stop and searches in 2017-18 and one complaint for every 437 stop and searches in 2018-19.
She added: “We acknowledge that historically stop and search has caused concern, but with improved training, the use of body-worn cameras and robust internal scrutiny, we see relatively small numbers of complaints.
“We review all complaints and when and where appropriate we take appropriate action to both share learning and best practice to ensure a quality of service the public expect and deserve.”
Katrina French of StopWatch, which campaigns for fair policing, said: “The police must be accountable for their actions. Without accountability, it is near impossible for people to place trust and confidence in the police.”
