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| Stuart Lawrence's racism complaint passed to police watchdog | Stuart Lawrence's racism complaint passed to police watchdog |
| (4 months later) | |
| Scotland Yard has referred its investigation into claims of racial harassment by police of the brother of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. | Scotland Yard has referred its investigation into claims of racial harassment by police of the brother of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. |
| The IPCC received the referral on Wednesday afternoon and is considering what role it will take. It is entitled to mount an independent inquiry into the claims from Stuart Lawrence that he has suffered persistent racial harassment from police officers, or it may decide to supervise the Met police's own inquiry. | The IPCC received the referral on Wednesday afternoon and is considering what role it will take. It is entitled to mount an independent inquiry into the claims from Stuart Lawrence that he has suffered persistent racial harassment from police officers, or it may decide to supervise the Met police's own inquiry. |
| A spokeswoman for the IPCC said: "Today, the IPCC received a referral from the Metropolitan police service in connection with a complaint made by Stuart Lawrence. | A spokeswoman for the IPCC said: "Today, the IPCC received a referral from the Metropolitan police service in connection with a complaint made by Stuart Lawrence. |
| "The referral is currently being considered to determine the level of IPCC involvement." | "The referral is currently being considered to determine the level of IPCC involvement." |
| Stuart Lawrence has launched a complaint claiming he has been the victim of a sustained campaign of harassment after being stopped by officers 25 times. | Stuart Lawrence has launched a complaint claiming he has been the victim of a sustained campaign of harassment after being stopped by officers 25 times. |
| Lawrence, whose brother was murdered in a racist attack nearly 20 years ago, said he believed he was being targeted by police while driving because of the colour of his skin. The teacher, 35, told the Daily Mail he had been repeatedly pulled over in his car over many years for "no apparent reason and without any justification". | Lawrence, whose brother was murdered in a racist attack nearly 20 years ago, said he believed he was being targeted by police while driving because of the colour of his skin. The teacher, 35, told the Daily Mail he had been repeatedly pulled over in his car over many years for "no apparent reason and without any justification". |
| Lawrence said he felt compelled to make an official complaint after an incident on 16 November near his home in Peckham, south London, when two officers pulled him over while he was driving in his VW Scirocco. | Lawrence said he felt compelled to make an official complaint after an incident on 16 November near his home in Peckham, south London, when two officers pulled him over while he was driving in his VW Scirocco. |
| After asking why he had been stopped, he said one of the officers replied that he had been "naturally suspicious" of him. | After asking why he had been stopped, he said one of the officers replied that he had been "naturally suspicious" of him. |
| Lawrence said: "I am being targeted because of the colour of my skin, I don't think it's because I am Stephen's brother. Whenever I have been stopped, I have never subsequently been charged with anything, and nothing has ever been found to be wrong with my car. | Lawrence said: "I am being targeted because of the colour of my skin, I don't think it's because I am Stephen's brother. Whenever I have been stopped, I have never subsequently been charged with anything, and nothing has ever been found to be wrong with my car. |
| "I have never, ever, done anything wrong. I have never been in trouble with the law. I have paid my road tax and my insurance, and always tried to keep my cars in a roadworthy state. | "I have never, ever, done anything wrong. I have never been in trouble with the law. I have paid my road tax and my insurance, and always tried to keep my cars in a roadworthy state. |
| "Of the 25 or so occasions in which I have been stopped, only two have been at police checkpoints – where they are verifying people's tax and insurance. The rest have been random stops." | "Of the 25 or so occasions in which I have been stopped, only two have been at police checkpoints – where they are verifying people's tax and insurance. The rest have been random stops." |
| Speaking about his stop-and-search ordeals to the Guardian a year ago, Lawrence said: "There is no reason I can give [for why I am stopped], other than I am a young black man, who usually wears a baseball cap in my car, which is my God-given right." | Speaking about his stop-and-search ordeals to the Guardian a year ago, Lawrence said: "There is no reason I can give [for why I am stopped], other than I am a young black man, who usually wears a baseball cap in my car, which is my God-given right." |
| Lawrence's lawyers sent the letter of complaint to the Met commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, outlining details of his ordeal and the names of the officers involved in the most recent stop-and-search incident in November. | Lawrence's lawyers sent the letter of complaint to the Met commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, outlining details of his ordeal and the names of the officers involved in the most recent stop-and-search incident in November. |
| The Met deputy commissioner, Craig Mackey, said the force received the complaint on Tuesday night. | The Met deputy commissioner, Craig Mackey, said the force received the complaint on Tuesday night. |
| He said: "This is a very serious matter and it will be investigated thoroughly and speedily. Stop and search is an important tool to beat crime and is supported by the community if it is used professionally and fairly. Officers are accountable for their actions and it is therefore essential complaints such as this are fully investigated." | He said: "This is a very serious matter and it will be investigated thoroughly and speedily. Stop and search is an important tool to beat crime and is supported by the community if it is used professionally and fairly. Officers are accountable for their actions and it is therefore essential complaints such as this are fully investigated." |
| He added that the commissioner had made it clear racism would not be tolerated in the force. | He added that the commissioner had made it clear racism would not be tolerated in the force. |
| In 1999, an inquiry into Stephen Lawrence's murder and subsequent botched investigation damned the Met police as "institutionally racist". | In 1999, an inquiry into Stephen Lawrence's murder and subsequent botched investigation damned the Met police as "institutionally racist". |
| A few weeks ago, David Cameron and Nick Clegg wrote to Stephen's mother, Doreen Lawrence, to assure her the coalition was doing all it could to promote fair treatment of ethnic minorities in all government policies. | A few weeks ago, David Cameron and Nick Clegg wrote to Stephen's mother, Doreen Lawrence, to assure her the coalition was doing all it could to promote fair treatment of ethnic minorities in all government policies. |
| "We know you have worked tirelessly to drive these improvements and are extremely grateful to you for your work. We also want to reiterate the government's commitment to equal treatment and equal opportunity," they wrote. | "We know you have worked tirelessly to drive these improvements and are extremely grateful to you for your work. We also want to reiterate the government's commitment to equal treatment and equal opportunity," they wrote. |
| Lawrence told the Mail he "reluctantly accepted" that being stopped by police was part of life growing up in south London. "But as I am getting older now, the circumstances in which I am stopped are more ludicrous and more over the top," he said. | Lawrence told the Mail he "reluctantly accepted" that being stopped by police was part of life growing up in south London. "But as I am getting older now, the circumstances in which I am stopped are more ludicrous and more over the top," he said. |
| "It appears not much progress has been made in how [the police] deal with black people. I just want police to do their jobs properly. I don't want them to waste time on people like me. | "It appears not much progress has been made in how [the police] deal with black people. I just want police to do their jobs properly. I don't want them to waste time on people like me. |
| "A lot of recommendations were made by the Macpherson inquiry but it seems that it hasn't made much difference." | "A lot of recommendations were made by the Macpherson inquiry but it seems that it hasn't made much difference." |
| Imran Khan, Lawrence's solicitor, said the complaint was "the culmination of a course of conduct over many years which amounted to harassment and discrimination based upon his skin colour, his ethnic origin". | Imran Khan, Lawrence's solicitor, said the complaint was "the culmination of a course of conduct over many years which amounted to harassment and discrimination based upon his skin colour, his ethnic origin". |
| Khan added: "We are delighted that [Scotland Yard is] pursuing it so quickly." | Khan added: "We are delighted that [Scotland Yard is] pursuing it so quickly." |
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