Zero tolerance Javid in stop and search crackdown on thugs
SAJID Javid yesterday signalled a zero-tolerance crackdown on violent thugs.
He used his first major speech as Home Secretary to promise extra equipment and support for more stop and search operations.
He said stop and search, which police chiefs want to use more frequently amid spiralling levels of knife and gun crime, could save lives.
Mr Javid told the Police Federation’s annual conference in Birmingham that he would prioritise funding following years of rows with the Government over budget cuts.
His predecessors at the Home Office – Theresa May and Amber Rudd – were both given frosty receptions when addressing the police union.
But Mr Javid received a warmer response after telling officers he understood the pressures they were under.
Mr Javid voiced his support for the roll- out of body-worn cameras and described Tasers as an ‘important tactical option’ for officers dealing with the most serious criminals.
He said: ‘If you don’t feel that you are getting the tools you need to do your job, I want to know about it.’
Pledging to ensure forces have the resources they need, he said the Government has had to make difficult decisions since 2010. He said that, including funds raised through council tax, over £1billion more is being invested in policing now than three years ago.
But he accepted there was a need to ‘think more about the long-term funding of the police’, saying: ‘My pledge to you is this: I will prioritise police funding in the spending review next year.’
Although most offending is a third lower than it was in 2010, Mr Javid said more crimes, such as sexual offences, were being reported than ever before. The threat from terrorism has escalated and evolved, while crime is increasingly taking place online, the Home Secretary said.
‘The internet has emboldened criminals to break the law in the most horrifying of ways, with platforms that enable dangerous crimes and appalling abuse,’ Mr Javid warned.
He said using stop and search would allow police officers to do their jobs more effectively. ‘Some of you don’t feel comfortable using it – and that’s not how it should be,’ he said. ‘I have confidence in your professional judgment.
‘So let me be clear. I support the use of stop and search. You have to do your job and that means protecting everyone.’
Evidence showed that black people were more likely to be homicide victims than any other ethnic group, he said.
He added: ‘If stop and search can mean saving lives from the communities most affected, then of course that has to be right.’
Official figures have showed a shocking rise in recent years in stabbings, shootings and gang violence in England and Wales.
The surge has come against the backdrop of Mrs May introducing reforms in 2015 to reduce the ‘ excessive and inappropriate’ use of stop and search.
A record low of 303,845 checks were made in 2016-17, compared with 904,089 in 2013-14.
The Prime Minister acted amid concerns that stop and search fuelled resentment because it disproportionately targeted ethnic minorities.
‘Stabbings and shootings’
Scotland Yard commissioner Cressida Dick has argued it keeps weapons off the streets.
Mr Javid also risked a clash with London mayor Sadiq Khan, chief constables and human rights group after suggesting he could force police to give ‘spit hoods’ to officers. Only 33 forces have approved using the hoods and campaigners say the equipment breaches the rights of suspects.
In 2016, Scotland Yard was forced to halt the deployment in London after an intervention from City Hall. Senior officers must now explain why the gear is necessary to Mr Khan and his policing team.
The Met had previously opposed their use with some chiefs expressing concerns the hoods were reminiscent of those used at Guantanamo Bay.
There have been claims they have been used unnecessarily, including on children and disabled people. Lawyers fear officers might not be able to see whether suspects are breathing if their faces are covered.