Changes to stop and search recordings to reduce bureaucracy

Greater Manchester Police Authority (GMPA) logo

The amount of information police officers need to record when they stop and search a person is to significantly decrease - in a bid to reduce the amount of bureaucracy for police officers and avoid recording excessive and unnecessary information.

The changes will come into force on 1 April 2011.

Greater Manchester Police Authority wants to make sure people know their rights and what will be expected of them when they are stopped.

The changes are as a result of an amendment to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984.

There are two different types of police stop; a stop and search, or a stop and account.

Stop and account involves a police officer stopping a member of the public and asking them to account for their actions, behaviour, presence in an area or ask why they are in possession of something. From 1 April the police will no longer have to make a record when they stop someone to ask them to account for their actions.

The amount of information that the police need to record during a Stop and Search will also reduce significantly. 

They will no longer have to record the person’s name and address, the outcome or a note of any injury or damage. However, if the search results in an arrest, this information will be recorded on the individual’s custody log. 

Some information will continue to be recorded, such as the person’s self defined ethnicity, the reason for the search, the officer’s surname and the outcome. The person stopped will not have to give their name unless they are arrested.

It is hoped the process will also be less time consuming for both the officer and the person being stopped.

Majid Hussain, Independent member for Greater Manchester Police Authority, said: “It is incredibly important that people know their rights when they are stopped by the police. The changes to this legislation mean members of the public will not have to give as much information to the police as they did previously.

“For some time we have been meeting and consulting with community groups about this, to ensure there is an understanding of the changes. We’ve had mixed feedback but in the coming months we will continue to consult with these groups to see how the changes affect them.”

Anyone who would like further information on these changes should go to www.gmpa.gov.uk