Making sure 'stop and search' is not used in a discriminatory manner

Did Metropolitan Police Service officers discriminate against Mr Bent in their decision to stop and search him, and in the manner of the stop and search?

Mr Bent was stopped and aggressively searched whilst out on his bike and speaking to a friend who was in his car. His friend is white and was not searched or questioned. Nothing was found, nevertheless Police offered no apology or explanation as to why he was searched but his friend was not. Mr Bent feels that he was racially profiled.

There are long standing persistent complaints about over-policing of Black and ethnic minority communities and use of stop and search. We seek to address this as a systemic issue under the Effective Legal Framework strategic priority of our Strategic Plan 2022-25. We have previously undertaken work to improve the use of stop and search.

We helped fund this case as part of our powers to provide legal assistance to victims of discrimination under section 28 Equality Act 2006.

Mr Bent’s case settled before any claim was issued at court. The Metropolitan Police denied that they discriminated against Mr Bent, but agreed to pay him compensation as part of the settlement. 

This case indicates the issues in the use of stop and search against Black and ethnic minority groups. It also indicates the issues, in how some race discrimination complaints are handled by some Police forces, and the referral process to the IOPC. By highlighting these issues, further work could now be done to address them.

Mr Tallan Bent said:

“I hope that, by bringing my claim against the Metropolitan Police, I have shone a light on their failure to respect my rights, and I want people who experience mistreatment by the police to know that they can make their voice heard.”