NPCC responds to report on children being strip searched

Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Mariner, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for stop and search, said:

“Intimate searches can be highly intrusive and emotive encounters, and can leave an emotional impact long after they happen, which is especially true in the case of children.

“I do not underestimate the seriousness of this subject and the importance of the report by the Children’s Commissioner, and it was reassuring to read where progress is being made. However, I agree with the report’s findings, and recognise that more needs to be done at a pace, by both those policing and others operating in this space.

“The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is working with the Home Office, the College of Policing, and others, to make changes to the codes of practice governing strip searches.

“We are also working with the College of Policing on refining existing training for officers that explicitly teach the trauma that these types of searches can have on individuals and communities. Work is also underway to review training for other ranks, including managers and senior leaders.

“We will also conduct a full review of our Authorised Professional Practice in respect of stop and search. This detailed and wide-ranging review will seek to examine all aspects of stop and search, including strip searches, and make any necessary changes to policing policy and national practices.

“Two years on from the shocking case of Child Q, we are seeing progress being made. I welcome this shift, and I am cautiously optimistic about the potential to overcome entrenched systemic challenges, but there is still urgent work to be done: too many strip searches carried out are unnecessary, unsafe and under-reported.  

“I am particularly reassured by the progress in London by the Metropolitan Police, but today’s research serves as a stark reminder that this is not an isolated issue in the capital. A much higher threshold should be met before a child is subjected to what we know can be a traumatising search. 

“This summer we have seen the vital importance of responsive, trusted policing in our communities. We need a culture of trust to be built between children and the police, so it’s vital that improvements continue, with fewer searches carried out, better data recording when they do, and that good practice and improvements are identified and modelled across the country.”