Describe the powers the Police have to stop and search and arrest individuals

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Law Essay

Part ‘A’ Law Essay- Describe the powers the Police have to stop and search and arrest individuals

        Stop and search and arrest powers allow the police to combat street crime and anti-social behaviour, and prevent more serious crimes occurring. A Police officer can stop and search and arrest an individual, when they are not in uniform; however if they are not wearing uniform they must show you their identity card. Under CODE A (part of a simplified version of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, that puts ‘stop and search’ into understandable language) the Police must not stop an individual because of their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or faith, the way they look or dress, the language they speak, or because they have committed a crime in the past. The Police have to treat individuals fairly and with respect. If an individual is unhappy with how the Police treated them, they can complain. If they feel they were treated differently because of their race, age, sexuality, gender, disability, religion or faith, they can complain of unlawful discrimination. Advice can be obtained from, or complaints can be made to: a Police station, local police authority, a Citizen’s Advice Bureau, local Race Equality Council, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, or a solicitor. If people have difficulty understanding English, or if they are deaf, then the police have to take reasonable steps to ensure that they understand their rights.

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A ‘stop’ is when a Police officer stops an individual and asks them to account for themselves. That is, if they ask the individual to tell them: what they are doing, why they are in an area, where they are going, or what they are carrying. Due to the Stephen Lawrence Report where the Police were said to be ‘institutionally racist’, the officer must fill in a form saying why they were stopped and the individual must be given a copy (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984- PACE, Section 3).

A ‘stop and search’ is when a Police officer ...

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This is a generally accurate answer which contains accurate description and relevant statutory authority showing where the police powers come from. It could be improved by re-ordering and linking some of the paragraphs as indicated in the comments. Rating ****