STOP AND SEARCH BRINGS TENSION TO SPARKBROOK

30-11-2007

The Stirrer can reveal that West Midlands Police were recently forced to hold an emergency meeting in Sparkbrook because of rising tensions over their stop and search policy. In one incident, Respect councillor Mohammed Ishtiaq was allegedly sworn at by an officer.

Ishtiaq’s colleague Salma Yaqoob told us, “Stop and search is really problematic in Sparkbrook. We know there is a issue, and this is never easy to police.

“But on one occasion Ishtiaq was sworn at by the police and they only changed their attitude when they realised he was a councillor so we had to call them in.

“Kids as young as 11 are being approached and they are being intimidated. There is a feeling within the community that people are under siege – that we are under attack and being harassed.

“This creates a negative cycle, and I’m worried about the attitude of the young people. If you don’t show respect you won’t get it back.”

The meeting between councillors, community leaders and the police took place in late September and Yaqoob suggests that there has been an improvement in the weeks since then – but she warns there’s no room for complacency.

“Nobody is saying they haven’t got a job to do” she commented, “but there is definitely a systemic issue here.

"There’s a danger that we’re alienating the people we should be trying to engage.”

West Midlands Police were offered the chance to comment but have so far not responded.

Is Stop and Search appropriate in 2007?

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