Dealing With Terrorism In The UK - Essay Example

Stop and Search in the UK The influence of terrorism based upon religious fundamentalism among the people and related problems forcethe governments to formulate new anti-terrorism policies. Within this scenario, Stop and Search in UK is generally considered as an innovative initiative to deal with the problem of terrorism. On the other side, this policy is under criticism because the same leads to racial profiling and victimization. Thesis statement: The Stop and Search procedure/rule in UK leads to the effective implementation of anti-terrorism measures, but the statistics on the same proves that it results in racial profiling and overuse of police powers, and the solution is to create awareness among the police officers on their limited powers and to make the civilians to know that it is their responsibility to help the nation to save them from internal threats. This section is broadly divided as: Explanation: Stop and Search, Stop and Search in UK, Racial profiling and Stop and Search in UK, Stop and Search cases and overuse of police powers, Statistics on Stop and Search cases in UK, and Solution. Explanation: Stop and Search First of all, the masterminds behind this innovative policy/rule aimed to keep UK as a whole free from internal/external threats. For instance, it is easier to identify external threats, but it is difficult to identify those who try to create domestic threats. One can see that the Stop and Search policy is not enough to withstand the threat from the global terrorist groups. To be specific, the power of this policy is limited within the context of searching the suspects, but without any evidence. So, the government formulated a new act named as the The Terrorism Act, which was implemented in the year 2000. Stigall (2009, p.106) states that, ‘In contrast to the limited powers to stop and search ordinary criminal suspects, The Terrorism Act of 2000 allows a police officer to stop and search any person he or she reasonably suspects to be a terrorist in order to discover whether the suspect has possession of anything that may constitute evidence that he or she is a terrorist’. The implementation of this Act proves that the Stop and Search policy cannot be considered as the base of anti-terrorism measures. Stop and Search in UK From a different angle of view, the Stop and Search in UK can be considered as the extension of anti-terrorism measures adopted by the UK government. But the media creates chaos among the people by exploiting the policy’s entertainment value, not news value. To be specific, the media exaggerates different opinions on this policy and try to claim that it is totally against individual liberty. If the authorities provide less importance to anti-terrorism measures, the media will try to proclaim that the government is failing to keep the nation free from serious threats. Still, the people consider that this policy is against their personal liberty because it can transform any individual into a suspect, but with no reason. One can see that innovative measures related to anti-terrorism can bring forth peace within national boundaries. On the other side, the government is aware of the fact that the policy of Stop and Search is not effective to deal with the threat from global terrorism. For instance, unexpected search can force the terrorists to find out new methods because they know that unexpected searches can expose their real identity. Great Britain. Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights (2006, p.138) states that, ‘We object of any kind of racial profiling in stop and search procedure-we believe this simply forces terrorists to use different methods, and alienates communities’. To be specific, unexpected searches can expose the people with criminal instinct. On the other side, this sort of search without any proof or search warrant can create problem between the police forces and the public. Similarly, innocent civilians are victimized by this policy because anyone can be stopped and searched without any solid proof or reason. Racial profiling and Stop and Search in UK Similarly, the Stop and Search indirectly affects the immigrant community and minority population in UK. For instance, bias based upon one’s skin colour and racial identity can result in suspiciousness among the police officers in general. One can see that the members of Black community within the British society happen to be the victims of Stop and Search policy of the authorities. On the other side, the members of the dominant race are less prone to be the victims of this policy. Epp (2010, p.162) states that, ‘The Home Office reported in 2004 that Blacks in Britain were eight times as likely to be stopped and searched as whites’. One can see that this basic difference is based upon the racial identities of both the communities. Within this scenario, the members of the Black community consider that their skin colour and racial identity force them to face racial profiling and bias based upon the same. From a different angle of view, racism and racial profiling encumber the smooth functioning of a multiracial society. Still, this problem is inherent in the society of UK because immigrants face a number of problems related to their racial identity. When the government tries to implement new polices without considering its after-effects, there is high scope for racial profiling related to this policy. This proves that racial profiling is inherent in this policy because the immigrant community including the Blacks are forced to face the negative effects of this policy. Stop and Search cases and overuse of police powers On the other side, some police officers consider that this procedure/rule authorises them to use their powers without any limitation or restriction. From a different angle of view, the police forces overuse their powers because they consider that stopping the civilians to conduct searches is essential to exhibit their special powers. Cretacci (2007, p.3) states that, ‘The police routinely stop people; briefly detain them, and sometimes even conduct cursory searches of their clothing and person for several different reasons’. One can see that conducting searches without having any solid evidence is humiliating because it is totally against civilian rights. Still, the police conduct surprise visits and related searches on unidentified reasons. Within this scenario, the police forces may claim that they have different reasons to conduct searches, but the end result is same, i.e. the feeling of humiliation. Similarly, the Stop and Search procedure/rule is misused by the authorities to terrorize the civilian population in general. For instance, the civilian population in London experienced the misuse of this policy by the authorities. Blackbourn (2014, p.147) states that, ‘The section 44 stop and search powers were significantly overused in particular parts of the UK, most notably in London, but also in Belfast’. On the other side, the government is helpless because they need to collect information from the civilians because no nation is safe from terrorism and related problems. But when certain races and people who believe in certain religions are considered as potent criminals and terrorists, the civilians feel that they are victimized by this policy. So, it is important for the police forces to realize that they are not beyond law, but are authorized to help the civilians. Besides, the authorities must try to formulate and implement certain restrictions upon the unquestionable powers authorized upon the police officers who are conducting daily searches. Statistics on Stop and Search cases in UK Generally, the police cannot predict whether a civilian is a potent threat to others or not. But the influence of terrorism and the related attacks on the Western nations by the global network of terrorist groups forced the government to create and implement certain anti-terrorism measures. Within this scenario, one’s physical look, including dressing style and movement, can create suspiciousness among the police officers. When a civilian does not try to maintain the common decorum, he/she will be considered as a suspect, no doubt. But the data related to the Stop and Search cases in UK proves that above quarter of the total searches are unlawful. Still, the authorities do not consider this as a serious issue because they know that their ultimate aim is to keep the nation free from internal/external threats. On the other side, the statistics on Stop and Search cases in UK proves that this policy victimizes the Blacks in the mainstream society. For instance, the number of stops and searches faced by the members of the Black community is comparatively larger than the Asian population and the Whites. This proves that the Blacks are primary suspects and one may suspect that racial profiling is inherent in this policy. Mirkin (2011, p.45) states that, ‘Race distribution of stop-and-search cases in England and Wales in 2005/6 Race Number of “stop-and-searches” Relative frequency, (%) Black (B) 131,723 15 Asian (A) 70,250 8 White (W) 676, 180 77 Total 878, 153 100’. On the other side, the Whites enjoy priority in the society because their racial profile is different from that of the minorities. This can create problems within the society because racial profiling leads to suspicion and related victimization. Solution The problems related to the Stop and Search policy in the UK cannot be easily solved because the police officers consider the same as the extension of their power and the public considers it as the threat to their personal liberty. Within this scenario, the government must take measures to create awareness among the police forces that their duty is to help the public, not to threaten them. When the police officers try to exaggerate their limited power, the civil society will consider that their personal liberty is under threat. Similarly, the civilians will consider that the policy is the grass-root level reason behind the problems faced by them. But one can see that the policy is not the real problem, but the police officers are. So, the police officers must realize the fact that this policy is not a licence for racial profiling, discrimination, and bias. On the other side, the civilians must try to understand that the government provides utmost importance to their safety and this policy proves the same. Summing up, it is evident that the Stop and Search procedure/rule in UK is highly innovative, but it limits the civilian personal liberty. Besides, it leads the minority population to feel that they are exposed to the after-effects of this rule. On the other side, the police officers consider that this rule authorizes them to be beyond the law and to conduct unexpected searches without any threat from the civilians. Besides, the racial minorities feel that they are victimized by this rule because their skin colour and racial identity betrays them. The statistics on the cases related to Stop and Search procedure/rule in UK proves that racial profiling and overuse of power by the police is increasing rapidly. If one is forced to undergo this sort of unexpected search, one will consider that one’s personal liberty is under threat. But the civilians must realize the fact that it is the government’s responsibility to implement anti-terrorism measures. In short, the government must try to create awareness among the police officers that their powers are limited, and must try to make the civilians to realize that they must co-operate with this policy because they are living in a multiracial and globalized world. References Blackbourn, J 2014 Anti-Terrorism Law and Normalising Northern Ireland, Routledge, Oxon. Cretacci, MA 2007 Supreme Court Case Briefs in Criminal Procedure, Rowman & Littlefield, Maryland. Epp, CR 2010 Making Rights Real: Activists, Bureaucrats, and the Creation of the Legalistic State, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Great Britain. Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights 2006 The Un Convention Against Torture (Uncat): Nineteenth Report of Session 2005-06: Oral And Written Evidence, The Stationery Office, London. Mirkin, B 2011 Core Concepts in Data Analysis: Summarization, Correlation and Visualization: Summarization, Correlation and Visualization Springer Science & Business Media, London. Stigall, D 2009 Counterterrorism and the Comparative Law of Investigative Detention Cambria Press, Amherst. Read More