Stop search (FOI ref: 1702A/24)
Request
You state the following in reply to my question on A15 "Section 1 of PACE legislation (GOWISELY) is covered in the training, however the search record is a digital application that has a set process that has to be completed in order to generate a reference for the required search. "
Can I have a copy of this process as required under A15. The COP are to inform the public of the records and how they are completed under a stop and search, and must be available to them.
Response
Please find enclosed our response.
When an individual is stop searched the officer needs to verbalise GOWISELY
- G: Grounds for suspicion
- O: Object of the search
- W: Warrant card
- I: Identity of the officer(s)
- S: Station
- E: Entitlement to a search record
- L: Legal power used
- Y: "You are detained for the purposes of a search
A stop search record number also needs to be created. This is completed on a digital app on the officers work mobile phone.
The officer will need to input:
Officer – station, name, NPU and team
Then the details of the stopped individual:
Nominal / vehicle detail: name – address – registration of car (if there is one) – date of birth – ethnicity as officer describes – ethnicity as the individual describes, gender
(if no details are given as the individual does not have to….. a description of the individual is recorded)
Then the following questions are answered:
More than outer coat / gloves removed? Yes or no answer
Outcome
Body worn video available? Yes or no
Date
Time
Location
Power used
Object: grounds for search and grounds information
A number is then generated…… also a QR code which the individual searched can scan if they so desire and answer a questionnaire on how they have been treated during the process of the search.