'Shock' rise in police searches to 70 a day

Published on Tuesday 5 April 2011 20:14

THE number of stop and searches carried out by police in Edinburgh and the Lothians has more than trebled in three years.

The Evening News can reveal figures show that more than 24,100 people were stopped by officers in 2010 and searched for alcohol, drugs, cash or weapons - the equivalent of 70 searches per day.

More than 9100 of the searches in the past year related to weapons, particularly the search for knives, but figures reveal that only four per cent of the stop and searches led to a weapon being found.

Police could not say how many of the other searches led to a successful result. The figures do not include stop and searches carried out by British Transport Police at local railway stations and on trains.

The figures compare with just 7500 searches in 2007 and 9900 in 2008, followed by a jump to more than 20,500 in 2009.

Human rights campaigners said the steep increase in numbers was "concerning", especially as Lothian and Borders Police had not provided any crime figures that could justify the need for extra searches.

A freedom of information officer said that it was not possible to provide information on how many searches were successful as officers would have to go through each case to find out its outcome, leading to an excessive cost for the force.

Campaigner Richard Haley, chairman of Scotland Against Criminalising Communities, from Leith, said: "Any big rise in the use of stop and searches is a cause for concern, and it would be really interesting to know what the conviction rate was that led from this.

"You have to wonder what constitutes reasonable suspicion. In some instances I am sure it was a case of unreasonable suspicion and some people are unlikely to think that it was a voluntary search."

MSP Margo MacDonald said: "If there had been a corresponding increase in regards to successful results from stop and searches, it would be easier to understand. It is a shocking increase.

"I think the police have to find a way of recording stop-and-search information in its full extent so that we can assess if a greater number of them is justified."

Councillor Iain Whyte, convener of the police board, said: "My understanding is that police have done more searches for knives in particular. The evidence I've seen, certainly with regards to searches for knives, suggests that in a number of cases they were justified."

He added: "There are more police officers on patrol now and those officers have been put on to front-line duty. They will undertake more searches as they will see more dangerous situations."

An FOI spokesman added that an improvement in recording practices, along with targeted initiatives, has led to an increase in figures.

A police spokesman said: "The legislation authorising searching is in place to enhance the safety and security of our communities.

"It is important to ensure that searches are well conducted and carried out in a polite fashion, and the effectiveness of this approach is reflected in the fact that we have no evidence of complaints from members of the public regarding searches."