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| Red tape cut in knife crime drive | |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Police in knife crime hot-spots are to get powers that ministers say will reduce red tape when stopping people for informal questioning on the street. | Police in knife crime hot-spots are to get powers that ministers say will reduce red tape when stopping people for informal questioning on the street. |
| Officers in 10 areas, including London, Manchester and Merseyside, will no longer have to fill out lengthy forms. | Officers in 10 areas, including London, Manchester and Merseyside, will no longer have to fill out lengthy forms. |
| A second scheme to reduce forms needed to record actual crimes is also being introduced, says the Home Office. | A second scheme to reduce forms needed to record actual crimes is also being introduced, says the Home Office. |
| Special forms for "stop and account" were introduced to combat racism, but police say they are bureaucratic. | Special forms for "stop and account" were introduced to combat racism, but police say they are bureaucratic. |
| The other police force areas covered by the initiative are Essex, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, Nottinghamshire, South Wales and Thames Valley. | The other police force areas covered by the initiative are Essex, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, Nottinghamshire, South Wales and Thames Valley. |
| The measures have been widely trailed as part of the Home Office's strategy to modernise the police. | The measures have been widely trailed as part of the Home Office's strategy to modernise the police. |
| Macpherson report | Macpherson report |
| Ministers say cutting red tape will save officers hundreds of thousands of hours a year. | |
| The most controversial form for many officers has been the paperwork relating to stopping someone and asking them to account for their behaviour. | The most controversial form for many officers has been the paperwork relating to stopping someone and asking them to account for their behaviour. |
| The forms were introduced to help constabularies internally monitor if they were stopping too many minorities, a key recommendation of the Macpherson report into Stephen Lawrence's murder. | The forms were introduced to help constabularies internally monitor if they were stopping too many minorities, a key recommendation of the Macpherson report into Stephen Lawrence's murder. |
| The second measure, fewer forms used to record crimes, comes after positive signs in four pilot areas. | The second measure, fewer forms used to record crimes, comes after positive signs in four pilot areas. |
| Staffordshire Police say they have cut from 15 minutes to two the time needed to record a crime, freeing up the equivalent of 19 officers. | Staffordshire Police say they have cut from 15 minutes to two the time needed to record a crime, freeing up the equivalent of 19 officers. |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the new stop-and-account measures would be introduced to the 10 "Tackling Knives Action Programme" areas from the end of October. | Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the new stop-and-account measures would be introduced to the 10 "Tackling Knives Action Programme" areas from the end of October. |
| Officers will radio in the subject's ethnicity and hand over a card explaining how they should complain if they feel unfairly treated. The new measures will be rolled out nationally from next year. | Officers will radio in the subject's ethnicity and hand over a card explaining how they should complain if they feel unfairly treated. The new measures will be rolled out nationally from next year. |
| Ms Smith said: "Giving police the means to dramatically reduce form-filling bureaucracy in these 10 priority areas will free up valuable officer time to further clamp down on knife crime. | Ms Smith said: "Giving police the means to dramatically reduce form-filling bureaucracy in these 10 priority areas will free up valuable officer time to further clamp down on knife crime. |
| "The recent Policing Green Paper set out radical plans to cut red tape to allow police to focus on the most serious crime and on local issues." | "The recent Policing Green Paper set out radical plans to cut red tape to allow police to focus on the most serious crime and on local issues." |
| Search arches | Search arches |
| Chief Constable Peter Fahy of Greater Manchester Police said: "The biggest frustration of frontline officers at the moment is lack of discretion, disproportionate bureaucracy and the target culture. | |
| "These changes, along with others proposed in the recent Green Paper, will in time enable officers to spend more time on the street." | "These changes, along with others proposed in the recent Green Paper, will in time enable officers to spend more time on the street." |
| But shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "This is a straight lift from Conservative proposals announced six months ago. | But shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "This is a straight lift from Conservative proposals announced six months ago. |
| "After 11 years of tying up the police in red tape, this government is the problem not the solution." | "After 11 years of tying up the police in red tape, this government is the problem not the solution." |
| Police in the knife crime hot-spots have been given portable search arches and have increased street stops to identify people carrying blades. | Police in the knife crime hot-spots have been given portable search arches and have increased street stops to identify people carrying blades. |
| In London, 77,000 searches since May have led to 3,300 arrests and the seizure of 2,200 knives. | In London, 77,000 searches since May have led to 3,300 arrests and the seizure of 2,200 knives. |