Meeting of the Parliament 02 April 2014
I want to put on record my support for stop and search. Indeed, as a minister, I played some part in ensuring that additional powers were made available to the police to carry out stop and search across Scotland. I have absolutely no doubt that stop and search has had a role to play in tackling inappropriate behaviour, in removing knives from people carrying them, in removing alcohol from young people and, generally, in making our streets safer. I therefore have no problem with additional powers for the police, nor do I have a problem with the use of those powers in stop and searches.
I agree with the cabinet secretary on a number of things. Indeed, I agree with Sandra White that there is a record drop in crime—right across Europe, including in England, there is a record drop in crime. The drop in England is even bigger than the drop in Scotland. It would be inappropriate to try to predicate the defence of an important power such as stop and search on bogus arguments that its use is the sole reason for the drop in crime, because other factors are at play. The reduction in crime in the developed world is a strange phenomenon. It ill behoves us to try to cloud the argument about that with the argument about stop and search.
Let us look at stop and search on its merits in Scotland. The record shows that stop and search is effective and is an important part of police powers. However, if concerns are raised about the use of stop and search, it is right that we look objectively and dispassionately at the arguments and criticisms. It should not be beyond us to accept the criticisms on the chin if things are going wrong and if powers are being used inappropriately. Indeed, it is in the interests of the police to ensure that public confidence in the use of stop and search powers is retained. When we see statistics that should give us cause to stop and think again, such as the statistic that, in a three-year period from 2010 to 2013, the rate doubled from 64 per 1,000 to 131 per 1,000, we need to ask ourselves why. Had behaviour deteriorated during that period? Were we more at risk of crime? What led to those figures?
We have heard concerns about the comments of the chief constable, who admitted that figures were made up. We have had a lot of debate about corroboration, and the chief constable’s comments were corroborated by other senior people in the police service who also admitted that figures were made up. When we hear such comments, we should stop and look at the issue, not to undermine or seek to abolish stop and search, but to strengthen public support for it. It would be wise for the cabinet secretary to take a step back and in his regular meetings with the police service ask it to look at the criticisms and consider in detail what is happening. When the cabinet secretary talks to the SPA, he should ask it to do its job in holding the police to account. It is in the interests of the SPA, the police and the public that we support stop and search and that it is done properly.
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