Section 60 guidance

The request was successful.

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

I would like to ask for information concerning the Home Secretary's decision in March 2019 to pilot in London a loosening of the restrictions around Section 60 Stop and Searches, and the subsequence decision to make this scheme permanent in August 2019.

(a) In March 2019:
i) what - if any - training was given to officers around the new rules for the use of section 60 powers
ii) what - if any - information or documents about these new rules was circulated to officers (please provide any documents that were circulated)
iii) which officers received this training and/or information
iv) who provided this training / information?

(b) In August 2019:
i) what - if any - training was given to officers around the new rules for the use of section 60 powers
ii) what - if any - information or documents about these new rules was circulated to officers (please provide any documents that were circulated)
iii) which officers received this training and/or information
iv) who provided this training / information?

Yours faithfully,

Patrick Kenner

Cyclops on behalf of Peter Deja, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

Letterhead

 

      Official Sensitive

 

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email:  [1][email address

 

www.met.police.uk

 

Your ref: 
Our ref: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

29/06/2020

 

 

 
 

 

 

Dear  Mr Kenner

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 27/06/2020. I note you seek
access to the following information:

 

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

I would like to ask for information concerning the Home Secretary's
decision in March 2019 to pilot in London a loosening of the restrictions
around Section 60 Stop and Searches, and the subsequence decision to make
this scheme permanent in August 2019.

(a) In March 2019:
i)  what - if any - training was given to officers around the new rules
for the use of section 60 powers
ii) what - if any - information or documents about these new rules was
circulated to officers (please provide any documents that were circulated)
iii) which officers received this training and/or information
iv) who provided this training / information?

(b) In August 2019:
i)  what - if any - training was given to officers around the new rules
for the use of section 60 powers
ii) what - if any - information or documents about these new rules was
circulated to officers (please provide any documents that were circulated)
iii) which officers received this training and/or information
iv) who provided this training / information?

 

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (the Act).  You will receive a response within the
statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act.

 

Although every effort will be made to ensure a response is provided within
statutory deadlines, due to current circumstances delays may be
unavoidable. We apologise for any inconvenience and will endeavour to
process your request as quickly as is practicable.

 

If you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please contact
us at [the Met request email], quoting the reference number above. Should your
enquiry relate to the logging or allocations process we will be able to
assist you directly and where your enquiry relates to other matters (such
as the status of the request) we will be able to pass on a message and/or
advise you of the relevant contact details. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

P D

 

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

 

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

 

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 313

Sidcup

DA15 0HH

[2][the Met request email] 

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

 

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

 

 

      Official Sensitive

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[the Met request email]

Cyclops on behalf of Sarah Strong, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

 

      Official Sensitive

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email: [1][the Met request email]

 

[2]www.met.police.uk

 

 
Our ref: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

23/07/2020

 

 

 
 

 

Dear Mr Kenner,

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

I am sorry to inform you that we have not been able to complete our
response to your request by the date originally stated. 

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act), we have 20 working
days to respond to a request for information unless we are considering
whether the information requested is covered by one of the 'qualified
exemptions' (exemptions which must be tested against the public interest
before deciding whether they apply to the information in question). 

 

Where we are considering the public interest test against the application
of relevant qualified exemptions, Section 17(2)(b) provides that we can
extend the 20 day deadline.  Please see the legal annex for further
information on this section of the Act.

 

For your information we are considering the following exemption(s):

 

      Section 31(1)(a)

 

I can now advise you that the amended date for a response is 20/08/2020

 

I do apologise for any inconvenience caused while work on your request.

 

Ms S. Strong

MPS Information Manager

 

 

 

LEGAL ANNEX

Section 17(2) provides:

(2)       Where- 

(a) in relation to any request for information, a public authority is, as
respects any information, relying on a claim- 

(i) that any provision of Part II which relates to the duty to confirm or
deny and is not specified in section 2(3) is relevant to the request, or 

(ii) that the information is exempt information only by virtue of a
provision not specified in section 2(3), and 

 

(b) at the time when the notice under subsection (1) is given to the
applicant, the public authority (or, in a case falling within section
66(3) or (4), the responsible authority) has not yet reached a decision as
to the application of subsection (1)(b) or (2)(b) of section 2, the notice
under subsection (1) must indicate that no decision as to the application
of that provision has yet been reached and must contain an estimate of the
date by which the authority expects that such a decision will have been
reached.

 

 

 

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

 

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

 

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 313

Sidcup

DA15 0HH

[3][the Met request email] 

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

 

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

 

 

      Official Sensitive

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[the Met request email]
2. http://www.met.police.uk/
3. mailto:[the Met request email]

Cyclops on behalf of Sarah Strong, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1 Attachment

 

      Official Sensitive

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email: [1][the Met request email]

 

[2]www.met.police.uk

 

Our ref: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

22/08/2020

 

 

 
 

 

Dear Mr Kenner, 

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

 

I am sorry to inform you that we have not been able to complete our
response to your request by the date originally stated. 

 

I can now advise you that the amended date for a response is 11/9/20.

 

I do apologise for any inconvenience caused and wish to thank you for your
patience.

Kind regards,

 

Ms S. Strong

MPS Information Manager

 

 

 

 

 

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

 

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

 

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

 

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome to discuss the
response with the case officer who dealt with your request.  

 

Complaint

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

 

Complaints should be made in writing, within forty (40) working days from
the date of the refusal notice, and addressed to:

 

FOI Complaint

Information Rights Unit

PO Box 313

Sidcup

DA15 0HH

[3][the Met request email] 

 

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 20 working days.

 

The Information Commissioner

 

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

 

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.ico.org.uk.  Alternatively, write to or
phone:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

 

 

      Official Sensitive

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[the Met request email]
2. http://www.met.police.uk/
3. mailto:[the Met request email]

Cyclops on behalf of Sarah Strong, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

7 Attachments

 

      Official Sensitive

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email: [1][the Met request email]

 

[2]www.met.police.uk

  
Our ref: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

29/08/2020

 

 

 
 

 

Dear Mr Kenner,

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/014877

 

Please see the attached in respect of your Freedom of Information request
referenced above.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Ms S. Strong

MPS Information Manager

 

 

      Official Sensitive

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[the Met request email]
2. http://www.met.police.uk/

J Roberts left an annotation ()

HMICFRS 15/12/23:

Police must apply safeguards and improve scrutiny to minimise harm when using stop and search

'A police super-complaint* submitted by the Criminal Justice Alliance raised concerns about the harms caused by “suspicion-less” section 60** stop and searches and inadequate scrutiny of all stop and search powers.'

https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov...

Report on the Criminal Justice Alliance’s super-complaint – Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and independent community scrutiny of stop and search

Published on: 15 December 2023

https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov...

Forces carried out a total of 530,365 stop and search encounters in 2021/22. But fewer than 1 percent (4,341) of these were carried out using section 60 powers... 8 forces accounted for almost 95 percent (4,111) of all section 60 searches. p7

The Home Office Annual Data Requirement doesn’t provide rules or guidance about how the police should monitor section 60 search records or about publishing their own stop and search data. p118

Data available when this fieldwork was carried out (data for year ending 31 March 2021) shows that a Black person is 12.5 times more likely to be stopped and searched under section 60 than a White person... p125

The Metropolitan Police Service uses the power more than any other police force in England and Wales. For the 12-month period to the end of March 2022, it carried out 1,760 searches under section 60. This represents 41 percent of all section 60 searches carried out in England and Wales p8

In the reporting year ending 31 March 2022, police searched one child under 10 years and 1,297 children aged between 10 and 17 years under section 60. Only 4,341 section 60 searches were conducted in that period, so the number conducted on people under 18 years represents 29.9 percent of the total. p100

Concerningly, the evidence from our investigation led us to conclude that forces aren’t paying enough regard to the detailed legal requirements, or to the NPCC’s guidance, or to the College of Policing’s APP. It shouldn’t be necessary for us to remind the police to comply with their long-standing statutory responsibilities and to follow the guidance, especially for something as controversial as section 60. p11

We found a similar lack of training for senior officers who may be called on to authorise the use of section 60 p14

There are no specific requirements on forces to evaluate police activities where a section 60 has been authorised. p16

Our review of body-worn video footage and our review of complaints about section 60 found examples of searches involving use of handcuffs that appeared unjustified. p18

We found little evidence that forces fully understood the impact section 60 activity may have on local people and communities. p20

In one search we reviewed, the officer told the person "we are going around searching everyone" and that the power was "applied in any case". In our view, the person stopped gave a believable explanation about why he was in the area (he was working there). But the officer still decided to detain and search him. The officer didn't find any weapons during this search. p94