Page 30 - JUSTICE Tackling Racial Injustice - Children and the Youth Justice System

tasked to undertake the most confrontational element of policing - do not have
on-going relationships with the communities into which they are parachuted.
This means they are less likely to be invested in the outcome for children they
stop. In our evidence, we found that BAME children often experience
aggressive policing tactics by TSG officers. Local communities speak to their
aggressive approach and lack of connection to the area which they police. As
such they are, unsurprisingly, distrusted and disliked by BAME
communities. This has led us to conclude that their continued use is
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detrimental to building positive, sustainable relationships. It is essential that
officers be familiar with the communities they serve. We therefore recommend
that the deployment of the TSG be limited to only the most serious policing
crises. Instead, police forces must prioritise a return toward neighbourhood
policing. While this is clearly not a complete solution, we consider it would
go some way to reducing aggressive and violent policing tactics, thereby
meeting communities’ expectations of fair and equitable treatment.

2.20 In addition, TSG officers should undergo specific de-escalation training.
We understand that a level of anxiety and fear for their personal safety during
patrols is intrinsic to the way that TSGs operate. For the most part, this is a
function of policing policy rather than objectively justified. It can never be
acceptable to behave violently, not least towards children. We therefore
consider that increased focus on de-escalation within policing to be crucial.
For instance, we have heard that best practice in the BTP is to maintain a
dialogue before, during and after a stop. This allows officers to gather further
information to determine whether a stop is necessary, and then allows them to
explain the process while it takes place. This builds rapport and reduces
tension. Following the stop, they provide individuals with ‘Z-Cards’, which
detail the individual’s rights, and try to end positively, sometimes through
expressing gratitude for cooperation. We recommend, therefore, that police
officers, as a matter of course, thank individuals stopped for their
cooperation and acknowledge the inconvenience caused, where a stop
resulted in no further action.

78 We note the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime’s Action Plan to address issues of accountability
and trust in policing practices for BAME people in London, and we hope this report contributes to their
assessments. See Mayor of London, ‘Action Plan: Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing’
(November 2020).

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