(08 April 2010)

The Crime and Security Bill has received Royal Assent, the Home Office confirmed today (8th April 2010). New Home Office figures released also revealed a huge increase the number of people being stopped and searched by the police as potential terrorists. Many people, particularly amateur photographers, have said that the Government has allowed the police to misuse counter-terror powers to target innocent tourists and bystanders. The new act reduces amounts of information that police must collect when stopping and searching an individual.

The number of people stopped and searched increased by 66 per cent between 2007/8 and 2008/9, the most recent year for which figures have been released. 210,000 people were stopped and searched in 2008/9 under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.Yet only nine people were arrested for terrorism offences. That is 0.004 per cent of those who were stopped and searched under Section 44.

There has been a huge increase in the use of the powers in the last few years. In 2006/7, the year after the 7/7 bombings, only 42,800 people were stopped and searched. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Gordon Brown and Labour have trampled our civil liberties for far too long. Whether they’re trying to impose ID cards, or allowing hundreds of thousands of innocent people to be stopped and searched under Terrorism powers, they always seem to think the state knows best. We can’t go on like this. Conservatives will end the abuse of stop and search powers as part of a full review of all Labour’s counter-terrorism laws.”

The new Crime & Security Act contains the following provisions:

• a new DNA retention regime to hold the DNA profiles of convicted offenders indefinitely and keep the DNA profiles of those who are arrested but not convicted of a recordable offence for a fixed amount of time;
• powers for police to retrospectively take DNA samples from violent and sexual offenders returning to the UK following conviction overseas, and to collect DNA from such convicted offenders who are no longer in prison;
• a mandatory parenting needs assessment when young people aged ten to 15 are being considered for an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) and parenting orders where they have breached their ASBOs;
• powers for police and local authorities to apply to a county court for an injunction against young people over 14 to prevent gang related violence, for example prevent a gang member from meeting other named gang members or going into a particular ';territory'
• domestic violence protection orders requiring an alleged domestic violence perpetrator to leave the home for a fixed period of time;
• a licensing scheme for wheel clamping companies and an independent appeals process for motorists who feel they have been wrongly clamped;
• financial compensation for British citizens who have been injured or bereaved by a terrorist attack overseas;
• powers for licensing authorities to make an order restricting the sale or supply of alcohol between the hours of 3am and 6am;
• reduced amounts of information that police must collect when stopping and searching an individual;
• powers for police to search individuals subject to control orders and to seize items of concern where appropriate;
• a new offence of possession of an unauthorised mobile phone or other electronic communications device in prison; and
• a new offence of failing to prevent minors from having access to air weapons.

The full Crime and Security Act can be viewed at:
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2009-10/crimeandsecurity/documents.html