Report on the Criminal Justice Alliance’s super-complaint - Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and independent community scrutiny of stop and search

Summary

In May 2021 we received a super-complaint from the Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA)

This super-complaint is about the police’s use of section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and the scrutiny of all stop and search powers.

The super-complaint, entitled ‘More harm than good’, raises the CJA’s concerns about “harms caused by ‘suspicion-less’ stop and searches and inadequate scrutiny of stop and search powers”.

HMICFRS, the College of Policing and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have published a report in response to this super-complaint.

Following an investigation, we have made recommendations to chief constables, police and crime commissioners or equivalents, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and the Home Office.

Read the report on GOV.UK

Report on the Criminal Justice Alliance’s super-complaint – Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and independent community scrutiny of stop and search

Get the press release

Police must apply safeguards and improve scrutiny to minimise harm when using stop and search

What is a super-complaint?

A super-complaint is a complaint that ‘a feature, or combination of features, of policing in England and Wales by one or more than one police force is, or appears to be, harming the interests of the public’ (section 29A, Police Reform Act 2002).

The system aims to examine problems of local, regional or national significance that may not be addressed by existing complaints systems. The process for making and considering a super-complaint is outlined in the Police Super-complaints Regulations 2018.

Super-complaints provide a voice for designated bodies to raise concerns on behalf of the public. They can include patterns or trends in policing that are, or appear to be, harming the interests of the public.

The College of Policing and the IOPC are responsible for assessing, investigating and reporting on police super-complaints. We have collaborated on the investigation and on drawing conclusions.