Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Stop and searches in five areas of the city
AVON and Somerset Police have been stepping up searches in five areas of Bristol yesterday following the spate of stabbings in the city.
A new operation has been launched to tackle serious violence and knife crime in the city. The operation has granted uniformed officers the power to stop and search anyone in the designated area, without needing reasonable grounds for suspicion.
The five areas where officers will be able to stop and search people without reasonable grounds are Bristol city centre, St Pauls, Easton, Temple and Fishponds.
Anyone in these areas of Bristol may be subject to being stopped by a uniformed officer and required to be searched.
Following the tragic deaths of 19-year-old Eddie Kinuthia in St Paul’s in June last year, 16-yearold Max Dixon and 15-year-old Mason Rist in Knowle West last month, and of the 16-year-old boy on Wednesday police have been granted temporary enhanced power.
It also comes after a 16-yearold boy was critically wounded in a stabbing at a Bristol city centre McDonald’s on Thursday, February 8, and other incidents in which children and young people have been injured, including a 14-year-old boy in St Werburgh’s on Sunday, February 4, and a 20-year-old man in Easton this week,
Avon and Somerset officers have been temporarily granted enhanced stop and search powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.
The extended powers initially last until 5pm yesterday, but they may be extended for a further 24 hours if deemed necessary.
A force spokesperson said it was an “unusual step” and one that only officers who have completed refresher training on these powers will be able to deploy. The decision to use these powers will be reviewed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s independent Scrutiny of Police Powers Panel, who can also check and test how such searches have been carried out.