NCJ Number
220151
Journal
Policing: An International Journal of Poice Strategies and Management Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Dated: 2007 Pages: 466-483
Date Published
2007
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This research paper provides a preliminary assessment of the impact of part one of the United Kingdom Criminal Justice Act 2003, extending police stop and search powers, upon the nature and distribution of police stops and searches.
Abstract
Three relatively significant findings include: (1) a significant increase in the overall volume of stop/search; (2) a differential impact upon ethnic minority groups subject to stop and search and arrest; and (3) a significant proportional decrease in the volume of persons arrested. Further investigation is warranted, particularly in relation to the second findings which may suggest that the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 2003 has produced some unanticipated outcomes. The introduction of the United Kingdom’s Criminal Justice Act 2003 extended police stop and search powers, it allowed police officers to stop and search for articles concerning the commission of the offense of criminal damage. The CJA 2003 was introduced at a time when police institutional discrimination, with stop and search as arguably its most tangible manifestation, had become part of the public imagination. The extension of police stop and search powers was introduced at a time when the United Kingdom Government was seeking to tackle antisocial behavior through various means. This study examined whether CJA 2003 produced a change in the extent and nature of stop/searches. The findings are discussed with regard to their implications for further research and policy. Figures, tables, references