Pubdate: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 Source: Bristol Evening Post (UK) Copyright: 2003 Bristol Evening Post Contact: http://www.nepmidlands.co.uk/thisis_general/redirects/bristolletts.html Website: http://www.epost.co.uk Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2412 Author: Phil Sands POLICE SEARCHES ON RISE The use of controversial stop and search powers by police in Avon and Somerset is on the increase, new figures have revealed. But the increase in shake-downs by officers has not made a big impact on arrests and convictions - just one in seven stop and searches in the region leads to an arrest. According to the Home Office, police used the measures on 18,690 separate occasions in 2002/2003. That compares with 15,520 in the previous year. The 3,170 extra checks led to 202 more arrests. That means a 20 per cent hike in the use of spot checks resulted in only an eight per cent rise in the number of arrests. The figures also reveal local officers use street search powers far more than other comparable forces. Essex police and Hertfordshire police had a combined total of 12,916 stops in 2003, thousands fewer than Avon and Somerset alone, even though the Home Office views the three areas as similar. Stop and search powers have come under fire, with critics claiming they give officers a free hand to harass the public. There are also concerns that members of ethnic minorities are far more likely to be stopped than whites. However, these latest figures do not provide details on who was stopped and Home Office minister Hazel Blears defended the police powers as "vital" in the fight against crime. She said: "The appropriate use of stop and search by the police is an important tool in tackling crime. "We need to focus on the quality of stop and searches rather than simply the numbers. "The use of these powers increased last year by 21 per cent and this corresponds with an increase in arrests, indicating that there has been good reason for their increased use. "Improved guidelines were issued to police officers earlier this year to ensure that stop and search powers are used in a targeted, intelligence-led way, focusing on serious crime and prolific offenders." The majority of searches by Avon and Somerset police were of suspected thieves. More than 6,000 stops were of drug suspects and 1,193 suspects were thought to be carrying an offensive weapon. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart