Policing Minister Chris Philp has urged the Metropolitan Police (Met) to increase their use of stop and search tactics amidst a 20% rise in knife crime in London over the last year. Speaking on Wednesday, Philp emphasized that the tactic is essential for removing knives from the streets and preventing knife-related injuries and deaths, particularly among young black men who are disproportionately victims of such crimes.
Philp noted that stop and search usage in the Metropolitan Police area has decreased by 44% over the past two years, and he argued that reversing this trend could prevent further blade offenses. While dismissing fears of disproportionality, Philp highlighted that success rates for stop and searches range between 25% to 30%, with similar results across all ethnicities.
The discussion on the effectiveness and necessity of stop and search was also the focus of The Daily T podcast. Hosts Kamal Ahmed and Camilla Tominey were joined by Shaun Bailey, former Conservative candidate for London Mayor, who, despite being subject to stop and search multiple times, supports its implementation. The episode further touched on the topic of assisted dying, featuring legendary broadcaster Esther Rantzen, recently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, who advocates for legalizing assisted dying in the UK.
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Related Topics: Assisted dying, Metropolitan Police Service, Shaun Bailey, Chris Philp, Lung Cancer, Knife crime.