LONDON — Hundreds of children were searched in London by police over a three-year period, according to a report released Monday by Britain’s top children’s official, who said she was “not convinced” that authorities were sufficiently judicious in adopting the invasive practice in light of the potential harm.
The report, which found that about 650 children had been searched between 2018 and 2020, was commissioned by Rachel de Souza, the UK’s children’s commissioner, after a young black schoolgirl identified in the report as ‘Child Q’ had been searched by police officers on school grounds in 2020 without her mother being notified and another adult present.
Ms de Souza suggested what happened to Child Q was not an isolated episode, after the report warned that protocols to protect children were not always followed, including ensuring the presence of a parent, guardian, social worker or caregiver during such searches. .
“A police force as intrusive and traumatic to children as a search warrant must be handled with the utmost care and responsibility,” she said, calling the report’s findings “deeply concerning.”
In 23 percent of the 650 cases, the requirement that an adult must be present when searched minors was not met, according to the report. It also found that police officers found nothing to indicate that further action was needed in just over half of the total searches.
Ninety-five percent of those searched were boys, according to the report, nearly 60 percent of whom were black.
As protests over the police murder of George Floyd in the United States in 2020 swept Britain, critics pointed to data showing that black people were four times more likely to be arrested and searched than whites, and the Mayor of London promised that. the city would hire more people. new recruits from minority backgrounds.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement it was working to strike a balance between police search needs and “the significant impact it can have on young people”. The force has already made changes, including increased oversight of the authorization of such searches, the statement said, and has revised its policy for searches from people under 18.
The disproportionate number of black boys being searched was worrying, Ms de Souza said, adding that several other cases of child searches were being investigated by the English police misconduct watchdog.
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Child Q’s search, conducted by female police officers, was seized upon when teachers said she smelled cannabis on her, but the officers did not report detecting cannabis or any other illegal substance. Nevertheless, the experience was so distressing for Kind Q, who was menstruating at the time, that she was referred for psychological support.
A review of the case published in March by a local child protection commissioner found that the decision to search the girl was “inadequately aligned with her interests or right to privacy”, and concluded that racism was the driving force behind the decision. influenced. . The impact on Child Q’s emotional health was profound and persistent.
Local officials at the time called the findings appalling, said they were committed to working on anti-racism policies and called on police to improve guidance on proper ways to search children.
Since then, police officers in the East London borough where Child Q was searched have undergone training to combat racial prejudice in an effort to avoid treating black children as adults.
Given that London police conduct a total of about 200,000 “stops and searches” a year, the 650 children searched over those three years were relatively small, said Matt Ashby, a crime science lecturer at University College London.
But since such searches are traumatic for children, even if they are carried out according to protocol, it is imperative that the police carry them out. only when necessary, Mr Ashby said.
“If they stop and people look for weapons,” he said, “it’s very different to stop people and look for cannabis.”
The issue adds to the greater mistrust that many young people, especially those of color, feel towards those in authority, said Kevin Blowe, campaign coordinator for Netpol, an organization that monitors police for signs that it is excessive or discriminatory or threatens civil rights.
“The horrific use of comic strip searches on children reflects a much deeper problem with the Metropolitan Police’s perception of young people on the streets of London as an inherent threat,” he said.
Young people in London’s most diverse, poorest or working-class communities would “probably say the police just can’t do it” — won’t — protect them,” he said.
Further data on the number of children searched nationally in Britain will be published later this year, Ms de Souza said, calling for a nationwide surveillance, though she did not provide details.
Although police had pledged to learn from Kind Q’s case, she said, that lesson meant it couldn’t be repeated. “That’s what sorry means,” she added. “It means it won’t happen again.”