Police To Review Under 12s Searches

A review's been launched by Police Scotland into the stop and search of young children.

It's after the force admitted that the practice is still ongoing, despite a promise to MSPs last year that it would stop for those under the age of 12.

The single force says officers positively engage with children and there are times when they remove alcohol, cigarettes and harmful items to protect their health and wellbeing.

The force says a review into searches involving children aged 1 to 11 is ongoing.

Assistant Chief Constable Nelson Telfer said stop search is "a valuable tool in helping officers keep people safe".

He said: "It is an intelligence led, ethically used tactic to help tackle anti social behaviours and violence, policing priorities identified by local communities across Scotland.

“The total number of stop searches has fallen and we continually scrutinise our processes to ensure that the information recorded is accurate. 

“Our data shows that a small number of under 12s were stop searched. Police officers will positively engage with young people and children and there are times when that engagement may move to a search which can result in the use of stop and search and often the removal of alcohol, cigarettes and other items.

"These interventions are vital in protecting the health and wellbeing of young people and children, and parents would expect us to remove alcohol and other harmful items from their children to keep them safe and prevent them becoming an offender or a victim.

“We are committed to ensuring openness and transparency in how stop search is carried out and the result it achieves. We scrutinise our data so that we can have confidence in how stop search is recorded and to pick up any errors or anomalies. 

“Last year Police Scotland announced an undertaking to cease consensual searching of children less than 12 years of age. To support this decision, we have been reviewing searches of those aged between ages 1 and 11. This review is ongoing.

“Through our National Stop Search Unit we will continue to improve our scrutiny of data and management of the processes involved in stop and search, including continuing to provide improved guidance and information to our staff.”

Scottish Liberal Democrats are to seek to recall a Police Scotland boss to parliament.

In evidence to the Scottish Parliament's subcommittee on policing in June last year, Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson said that the practice would end immediately as "the current position is fairly indefensible."

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP said:

"MSPs were told last June that the use of voluntary stop and searches on children under 12 was to be scrapped with immediate effect.

"Today we have learnt that hundreds of children are still being subject to the tactic. People deserve to know why Police Scotland haven't kept their word on scrapping this unregulated and illiberal position. I will be seeking to recall ACC Wayne Mawson to the committee so that he can account for himself. If it is the case that this practise is continuing, it would be reasonable to question if the Police misled parliament."

Scottish Labour's Justice Spokesperson, Hugh Henry MSP, said:

"Police Scotland has searched 654 children in Scotland between January and November last year, in the same time the Metropolitan Police searched 19.

"Is it the opinion of Police Scotland that Scotland's children are more likely to commit crimes than the children of London?

"Police Scotland must come clean, it's clear that the commitment given to the Scottish Parliament has not been honoured and the Justice Committee deserves an explanation.

"The question needs to be asked, what is the Scottish Police Authority doing about this? The SPA is supposed to hold Police Scotland to account. It failed on armed police officers and is failing yet again. It's time the SPA started to do the job it has been given. The SNP government should step in if the SPA can't or won't act. Someone needs to hold Police Scotland to account for their actions."