Muhammed Awais
STOP AND SEARCH – POLICE
POWERS
The police can stop and search anyone in a public place or in a vehicle. Therefore, the search can be your
vehicle too. The Police will need to search the clothes and everything which someone may have on himself. But
before the Police can carry out a stop and search they must have a ground, which is mentioned in the Police and
Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). To add on, the police must make sure that they have reasonable grounds
for suspecting and that they expect to find the following things on a person. They are stolen goods, illegal drugs,
offensive weapons and items which can be used to commit a crime an example can be spray paint cannisters
which can be used to destroy property. On the other hand, under S.43 of the terrorism Act 2000, it is not
required to be 100% sure that the person is a terrorist. The senior can authorise the search at times and places
which must be confirmed by home secretary. To define a person can be stopped if the person is suspected of
being a terrorist or if they are trying to stop a suspected terrorist attack. However, under S.60 of the Criminal
Justice and Order Act 1994, the police can use stop and search where they think there is a risk of violence and
public disorder. These can be things such as riots, gang fights and sport hooligans. The home secretary must
also need to authorise this, and it must not last more than 24 hours.
There are some circumstances where the police cannot stop and search people. The PACE code test is a
subjective test as police need to think if a person is a criminal. Therefore, stop and search shouldn’t be based on
other factors such as age, sex, religion or being known to police. Any suspicions the police have shouldn’t be
based on stereotypical images of certain people and groups. As PACE code A has a strong reference to the
Equality Act 2010 and under the law, the protected characteristics are age, race, religion. The police must make
good relations with the people that they stop and search. So, they shouldn’t suspect any of the stuff mentioned.
The police can search anyone anywhere which is open to the public, but they cannot search someone within his
own property or garden. The police stop and search you when you are in someone’s house with permission or in
the garden. The places where the police can carry out a stop and search are the street, any shopping centre or
cinema.
Before the police search you, they must have followed something they are taught in police school. This is
GOWISELY, this word stands for something different upon each letter. The G stands for ‘grounds’ which
means the reason for the stop and search, the O stands for ‘object’ this is what the police think that they might
find on the person they will stop. After this the police must provide the person they have stopped with some of
their details. W is a ‘warrant’ card this is something which all officers must carry this shows that the officers
have authorisation to be a police officer. I stand for ‘identity’ this will be the name of the police officer so that
they can identify him. S is the Police station the officer in question is linked to. The officer could be linked any
police station and therefore must provide the one he is linked to. Then E stands for ‘entitled’ this is to see if the
person is entitled to the stop and search. They must keep a record of the stop and search which they did to the
person. This is for the information on the persons rights. L is for ‘legal’ this is act which the right to stop and
search comes from. Which is the PACE act, and lastly the Y stands for ‘you’ they must inform the person they
have stopped why they are being detained. If the officer is in plain clothes they must also show this information
and this maybe important when the officer is in plain clothing. The police cannot start searching you unless all
the tasks of GOWISELY have been carried out, the record of the stop and search must be made before the end
of 3 months after the search had taken.
There are 4 grounds upon when the police can search you, the 4 grounds are, firstly the police follow the PACE
code which that there are powers which are given to the police force to undertake the search. This could be due
to the person having reasonable grounds for search. Before this type of stop and search is carried out they must
make sure that the articles of unlawfully obtained or possessed may be carried by the person. This could be
under section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and this says when a person is a terrorist. The second ground the
police can search you is under the S.60 of the criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, this will be based on
that the person is carrying weapons which they believe have the power of causing some serious harm. They
could be carrying dangerous instruments such as a hammer or dangerous weapons such as a gun. Both are
serious weapons as they can both cause serious harm. Any police area can carry out a stop and search if they
suspect someone of this. Thirdly another ground for search is that which is authorised under Section 44(1) of the
STOP AND SEARCH – POLICE
POWERS
The police can stop and search anyone in a public place or in a vehicle. Therefore, the search can be your
vehicle too. The Police will need to search the clothes and everything which someone may have on himself. But
before the Police can carry out a stop and search they must have a ground, which is mentioned in the Police and
Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). To add on, the police must make sure that they have reasonable grounds
for suspecting and that they expect to find the following things on a person. They are stolen goods, illegal drugs,
offensive weapons and items which can be used to commit a crime an example can be spray paint cannisters
which can be used to destroy property. On the other hand, under S.43 of the terrorism Act 2000, it is not
required to be 100% sure that the person is a terrorist. The senior can authorise the search at times and places
which must be confirmed by home secretary. To define a person can be stopped if the person is suspected of
being a terrorist or if they are trying to stop a suspected terrorist attack. However, under S.60 of the Criminal
Justice and Order Act 1994, the police can use stop and search where they think there is a risk of violence and
public disorder. These can be things such as riots, gang fights and sport hooligans. The home secretary must
also need to authorise this, and it must not last more than 24 hours.
There are some circumstances where the police cannot stop and search people. The PACE code test is a
subjective test as police need to think if a person is a criminal. Therefore, stop and search shouldn’t be based on
other factors such as age, sex, religion or being known to police. Any suspicions the police have shouldn’t be
based on stereotypical images of certain people and groups. As PACE code A has a strong reference to the
Equality Act 2010 and under the law, the protected characteristics are age, race, religion. The police must make
good relations with the people that they stop and search. So, they shouldn’t suspect any of the stuff mentioned.
The police can search anyone anywhere which is open to the public, but they cannot search someone within his
own property or garden. The police stop and search you when you are in someone’s house with permission or in
the garden. The places where the police can carry out a stop and search are the street, any shopping centre or
cinema.
Before the police search you, they must have followed something they are taught in police school. This is
GOWISELY, this word stands for something different upon each letter. The G stands for ‘grounds’ which
means the reason for the stop and search, the O stands for ‘object’ this is what the police think that they might
find on the person they will stop. After this the police must provide the person they have stopped with some of
their details. W is a ‘warrant’ card this is something which all officers must carry this shows that the officers
have authorisation to be a police officer. I stand for ‘identity’ this will be the name of the police officer so that
they can identify him. S is the Police station the officer in question is linked to. The officer could be linked any
police station and therefore must provide the one he is linked to. Then E stands for ‘entitled’ this is to see if the
person is entitled to the stop and search. They must keep a record of the stop and search which they did to the
person. This is for the information on the persons rights. L is for ‘legal’ this is act which the right to stop and
search comes from. Which is the PACE act, and lastly the Y stands for ‘you’ they must inform the person they
have stopped why they are being detained. If the officer is in plain clothes they must also show this information
and this maybe important when the officer is in plain clothing. The police cannot start searching you unless all
the tasks of GOWISELY have been carried out, the record of the stop and search must be made before the end
of 3 months after the search had taken.
There are 4 grounds upon when the police can search you, the 4 grounds are, firstly the police follow the PACE
code which that there are powers which are given to the police force to undertake the search. This could be due
to the person having reasonable grounds for search. Before this type of stop and search is carried out they must
make sure that the articles of unlawfully obtained or possessed may be carried by the person. This could be
under section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and this says when a person is a terrorist. The second ground the
police can search you is under the S.60 of the criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, this will be based on
that the person is carrying weapons which they believe have the power of causing some serious harm. They
could be carrying dangerous instruments such as a hammer or dangerous weapons such as a gun. Both are
serious weapons as they can both cause serious harm. Any police area can carry out a stop and search if they
suspect someone of this. Thirdly another ground for search is that which is authorised under Section 44(1) of the
