Still from Y-Stop, a Fully Focused film directed by Teddy Nigh
Lately we have been visiting youth clubs and schools across London to find out how young people feel about stop and search. From playful 9 year olds, who could act out in alarming detail aggressive police confrontations they had seen on the street, right up to those in their early twenties, frustration, helplessness and fear were palpable. For people who are never searched, it is easy to attribute any objection young people may have to attitude problems and conclude they are unnecessarily aggressive towards the police who are just doing their jobs. After all, if you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to hide. Right?
The purpose of the power is to detain a person in order to confirm or allay a suspicion that they are carrying a prohibited item. But, as many young people will tell you, it is rarely about that item. Instead, stop and search is a ritual performed by police to exert their authority over the streets.
