Boris Johnson risks triggering riots with rollout of blanket stop-and-search powers, Diane Abbott warns

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. ”Evidence-based stop and search will always be a vital tool in preventing crime, but random stops have only poisoned police community relations.“ The move is part of a raft of right-wing justice policies announced by Mr Johnson’s new government amid speculation that a snap general election could be called over a no-deal Brexit. “Police chiefs are clear – stop and search is a vital tool in combatting the scourge of serious violence and keeping people safe,” the home secretary added. A report said a Home Office study of targetted weapons searches in London found no statistically significant reductions in crime, and College of Policing research looking at 10 years of Metropolitan Police data “found only a weak relationship between stop and search and overall levels of the types of crimes the practice aims to reduce”. “Section 60 powers to stop and search anyone within a designated area can be extremely effective when there have been violent incidents and police commanders believe there is a high risk of further violence occurring.”