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Police detained two black men because they innocently exchanged a punch, a guard dog discovered.
the Met with the police the agents exercised powers of arrest and search after suspecting that the men exchanged drugs due to the coup.
The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) said a review of recent cases involving the Metropolitan Police showed that there was a “lack of understanding” on the part of officers and that “the legitimacy of arrests and searches was being undermined.” .
The IOPC has developed a number of recommendations to improve the use of the powers of arrest and search, including offering better education for officers.
Several of these investigations found that, although an initial search found no wrongdoing, it was slow for officers to finish the encounter.
In an investigation, a black man in possession of someone else’s credit card was suspected of having stolen it, even after giving a credible explanation.
In two other investigations, the smell of cannabis was the only reason given for the stop.
Handcuffs were also used in almost all cases where the use of other tactics could have reduced the situation, the watchdog said.
The IOPC highlighted the fact that officers did not use body camera video from the beginning and did not seek further evidence after the initial reasons for the arrest and search were unfounded.
The watchdog has recommended 11 ways the Metropolitan Police, Britain’s largest force, can improve the use of its powers of arrest and search.
They include offering better powers education to officers, improving monitoring from above, ensuring that racial bias is eliminated, and ensuring that arrest and search are promptly terminated after suspicions are dispelled.
IOPC London Regional Director Sal Naseem said: “The review reflects the concerns expressed to us by the London communities.
“We saw a lack of understanding from officers about why their actions were perceived as discriminatory.
“We recommend that the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) take steps to ensure that assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices (conscious or unconscious) do not inform or affect the decision-making of its officers about arrest and search.”
Mr Naseem added: “The review highlights the need for the Met to reflect on the impact this type of decision-making is having. There is clearly a lot of room for improvement.”
