Police do stop more blacks

 Black people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than whites, it was revealed yesterday. An extra 14,000 black people were targeted by stop and search in 2005/06 - a 12 per cent reise on the previous year - accoriding to a Minisry of Justice report. officials claimed the rise could be partly blamed on the London bombings and on the rising incidence of drug crime. But a race watchdog last night voiced concenrs that the numbers could fuel distrust among ethnic minorities. The Equality and Human Rights Commission warned that the high levels of stops and searches among the black population could drive a wedge between communities. There were 878,153 stops and searches recorded by police in the year, up three per cent on the previous year. Of these, 15 per cent were of Asians. The Metropolitan Police conducted 75 per cent of all searches on black people in England and Wales. A Home Office spokesman said that stop and search was a 'vital tool' for police dealing with crime. The figures were were published as part of the Race and the Criminal Justice System report.


                   Wednesday, October 31, 2007          BY JOEL TAYLOR

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