Allegations of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity - Kent Police, February 2018

In February 2016 a black man was stopped and searched by two Kent Police officers outside his home address in Tonbridge, Kent. At the same time, another black man, who was never identified, was also searched. One of the men subsequently made a complaint to Kent Police, alleging the stop was discriminatory and based purely on his ethnicity.

Kent Police professional standards department conducted three investigations between February 2016 and December 2017. The complainant appealed against the findings of each investigation, saying that the local investigations had not dealt with his complaint appropriately and the outcomes had not sufficiently addressed his concerns. On each occasion, we upheld the complainant’s appeals and directed Kent Police to conduct the re-investigations into the complaint.

In February 2018, following an appeal against the outcome of the third Kent Police investigation, we decided to conduct an independent investigation.

The three local investigations had gathered a volume of material, which we obtained and analysed. This included a total of six accounts provided by the two officers who conducted the stop and search, as well as their pocket notebook entries. In addition, we reviewed a statement provided by the complainant and two statements from witnesses to the search.

We obtained three stop and search records, which were all linked to the search of the complainant, and reviewed these alongside an audio recording from one of the officers, who documented their justification for conducting the searches. We also carried out an analysis of other search records, completed by the officers in the six months prior to February 2016.

Following a review of all the available evidence, there was no indication the search had been conducted purely on the grounds of the complainant’s ethnicity. The evidence indicated the stop and search had been targeted and based on a description provided about another individual. Due to the intelligence they had received, and what the officers already knew about the complainant, we were of the opinion that their belief that the man they stopped (the complainant) matched the description provided was reasonable in the circumstances.

Based on the evidence available we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, or had committed a criminal offence.

We completed our independent investigation in October 2018.