Black and ethnic minorities twice as likely to be stopped and searched in Gloucestershire

“"Twelve per cent of London's men are black. But 54 per cent of the street crimes committed by men in London, along with 46 per cent of the knife crimes and more than half of the gun crimes, are thought by the Metropolitan Police to have been committed by black men." Telegraph June 210

The article also goes on to say
"In the 21st century, the principal grounds on which the Met is accused of racism is that black men make up a much higher proportion of the people stopped and searched by police officers than any other ethnic group.

The Equality Commission assumes that such a practice shows that officers must be covertly racist.

But the disproportionate number of black men identified by victims as perpetrators demonstrates that racism need not have anything to do with it: when the victim identifies the assailant as a black male, it is logical, indeed necessary, for officers to start investigating black suspects.

That may lead them to stop and search black males who are in the vicinity and who have other characteristics identified by the victim.

Officers from the Met could, of course, stop and search old white women or middle-aged Asian mothers instead.

That might end the "disproportionality". It would also be totally useless as a way of identifying and catching the people responsible for street crime.

When a disproportionate number of victims identify their attackers as black males, it is not easy to see what the Met can do to investigate those crimes without being criticised for "disproportionately targeting black men".

And yet a failure to catch the perpetrators of violent crime is not going to help anyone, least of all members of the black community, who are so disproportionately the criminals' victims. "”

“by RoadWombat

"Tishwash has put the best post on here so far. It is a big fuss about nothing."

The best post on here, you may say, but not the best post on *this* page, I think...

http://tinyurl.com/d8bsjny”

“Tishwash has put the best post on here so far. It is a big fuss about nothing.

I also agree with you, sticks-stones, when you say that the police should stop anybody who needs to be stopped, irrespective of who they are, and also with your "positive discrimination" points (the constabulary do themselves no favours at all there!).

However, I still believe it is refreshing to have someone like Delroy who doesn't just kick back with an anti-police and automatic "white v black" response, but tries to see both sides. I think you will find that he always tries to present a fair and balanced message, whether he is speaking to the young blacks he deals with every day, or to anyone else. Please don't kick poor old Delroy - he's at least trying to be genuine and positive and come up with solutions!”

“RoadWombat, if Delroy Ellis is as great and "balanced" as you make out, I am pleased about that - but he's not, is he? If Delroy can give - then Delroy can take - he's probably not even read the "figures", just another nodding dog.

Delroy said: "I'm not surprised by the figures.

"I have been stopped myself and the young people I work with say they get stopped.

"But some of them make a rod for their own back by acting dodgy when they see officers to wind them up."

Did you get that? He is "not surprised by the figures" and some just "wind them up" very 'balanced' indeed - how dare the police stop Delroy, don't they know who he is - they'll be stopping the Queen next...

Leave the police to get on with it - stop anybody you think that needs to be stopped - regardless of who the are.”

“RoadWombat, perhaps you should be airing your issues regarding the other 'youth and community workers'? There is a place for criticism, if it leads to improvements in actions and attitudes.”

“Delroy Ellis is no better than PC Priddy (apart from a brain cell or two), they both stand for the same 'cause' - the politically correct BME's group, which is akin to a 'white racist witch-hunt', racist this, racisim that.

Remember, Gloucesteshire police paid compensation for being 'racist' - in short, they rejected an applicant for the police, because they were white - how's that for "positive discrimination"?

Well, you do hear "we were warned about all of this" - but it's here - it's now just how it will all 'pan out' - and things are looking grim now.”

“I don't know what issue you have with Delroy, sticks-stones (it isn't something to air here anyway). I can only say that I have always found him helpful and extremely positive. I wish more youth and community workers were like him.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that he has presented a balanced view in trying to see both sides of this argument; something many of our more politically-motivated youth leaders wouldn't have done. To do that takes a great deal of moral courage and I know he often takes flak from all sides for sticking to his very fair and admirable principles. I am a great supporter of Delroy and he has done a great deal for the city.

And that comes from someone who is normally very suspicious of many of the 'right-on, down-with-the-kids" apologist youth workers one so often encounters. Delroy certainly ain't that!”

“At least Delroy Ellis is prepared to admit that some of his kin deliberately act 'dodgy' to attract the police attention. This will result in skewing the search figures. It really is not as simple as demanding that the statistics should show that the type of people stopped should be a direct reflection of the breakdown of the populous i.e. that if we have 1% Afro Caribbean then they should only represent 1% of people stopped. I have seen this argument used, even by Supt Priddy, a black man and it is superficial and unintelligent.
It disregards the fact that black or any other minor ethnic group may be disproportionately responsible for crime. That is not a racist comment but reflects reality and the fact that some minorities do not perform well in education or may be disadvantaged etc, etc and that is not the fault of the police.
What Superintendent Priddy ought to be looking at and he should know this if he is an intelligent man is, what is the percentage of people arrested as a result of what was found during such a search. You see my argument is this, if police stop 100 black men or Chinese or whatever and they arrest 10% as a result then, as long as they are also arresting 10% of other ethnicities as a result of their search, that tends to indicate that they are acting impartially.
It is not who they stop but the percentage arrested as a result. If the percentage arrested is similar it tends to show that the officers are acting impartially. Over 10 years ago I was present when Supt Priddy stated that because Gloucestershire Police searched more black people than white , that was evidence that they were racist. A most ridiculously superficial argument and the further statements he made were so pathetic that, in my opinion, he was an out and out racist, hell bent on using his colour to his own advantage.”

“christ, so this story is flawed!

"Freedom of Information figures show officers stopped 3,958 people last year, including two 83-year-olds.
Of those 3,521 were white."

Stop making stories out of nothing, only 11% of the people stopped were non-white, ignore the 'average percentages of people' 1 in 10 stopped is non-white, that's a fairly low stat.”

“Yawn...

So that'll be crime on the increase then when they are ordered to 'turn a blind eye'.

"Youth worker Delroy Ellis from Increase the Peace said: "I'm not surprised by the figures."

Says the empty-headed, scrounging ex con Delro Ellis.”