On Tuesday 14 January, we are hosting #TimeToTalk - (Un)reasonable Suspicion? The effects of Stop & Search – a panel debate on the issue of the racial disparity in street searches conducted by the police.

The event is organised by EQUAL (an independent advisory group tackling racial bias in the criminal justice system and working to improve outcomes for BAME people) and the panel will comprise of:

• Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
• Dr Patrick Williams, Criminology lecturer 
• Roxy Legane, the founder of Kids of Colour 

While stop and search affects mainly young people in poorer communities across Manchester, there is evidence that it is also more likely to affect black, Asian and other minority ethnic (BAME) people:

• In 2018/19 black people were searched nearly seven times as much as white people in Greater Manchester
• Stop and search for Asian people has risen by +44%
• Only 4% of outcomes from searches under Section 60 were linked to the initial reason for it taking place