Police officers told to treat stop and search suspects with 'dignity' in wake of race row

Dan McDonald
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:52:12 +0000

Police officers have been told to treat stop and search suspects with "dignity" in the wake of a fierce race row.

The College of Policing has launched a consultation on new guidance requiring officers to treat individuals with “dignity and respect throughout” any encounter.

The policing standards body said the proposed rules place “greater emphasis on the quality of the encounter itself”.

Under the plans, officers would need to clearly explain their reasons for carrying out a search.

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Police relying on the smell of cannabis would also be required to complete up to eight separate checks before proceeding.

These include linking the odour to a specific individual, assessing the likelihood of finding drugs, and considering whether a reasonable observer would view the search as justified.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the proposals, branding them “yet more woke nonsense”.

He said: "The College of Policing should be making it easier to conduct stop and search, not harder.

"Stop and search takes knives and drugs off the streets and saves lives.”

Mr Philp also dismissed concerns over racial disproportionality, saying: “The fact is, when stop and search rates are compared to the profile of offenders rather than the whole population, there is no disproportionality.”

The Shadow Home Secretary warned the proposals could “put lives at risk” and urged the College to abandon the consultation.

The use of stop and search has fluctuated sharply over the past two decades.

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It peaked at around 1.5 million searches in 2008/2009 before falling to just 279,000 by 2017.

The drop followed changes introduced by Theresa May as Home Secretary amid concerns the power was being used disproportionately against black communities.

Numbers later rose again as ministers and police leaders pushed “intelligence-led” searches to tackle knife crime.

However, the latest figures show a slight decline in the year to March 2025, with 528,582 searches recorded compared to 536,217 the previous year.

Officers are said to have grown more cautious due to fears of complaints and allegations of racial profiling.

The proposed guidance sets out a series of questions officers must consider before conducting a cannabis-related search based on smell.

These include whether the odour can be linked to a specific individual - particularly in groups or vehicles - and whether it may have come from a previous occupant.

Officers must also assess whether they have genuine, evidence-based suspicion and how their decision would appear to a reasonable observer.

Examples of valid grounds include witnessing someone swallow drugs, signs of intoxication, or an admission of possession.

A spokesman for the College of Policing said: “We consult widely for feedback and actively encourage responses from officers, partners and the public.

"Our objective is solely to ensure a vital tool for policing is used as effectively as possible to keep the public safe.”