Investigation into police contact with man - Metropolitan Police Service, November 2022

A member of the public submitted a complaint in relation to a stop and search conducted by Metropolitan Police Service officers. The complainant stated that they were handcuffed and searched, during which inappropriate language was used. The person was also not provided with a stop and search record.

During our investigation, investigators interviewed the officers, examined body worn video footage, obtained statements from witnesses, and conducted enquiries for CCTV. 

We concluded two officers had a case to answer for misconduct. We recommended the reflective practice review process as the most appropriate proceeding. 

An officer reflecting on their actions is a formal process reflected in legislation. The reflective practice review process consists of a fact-finding stage and a discussion stage, followed by the production of a reflective review development report. The discussion must include:

• a discussion of the practice requiring improvement and related circumstances that have been identified, and
• the identification of key lessons to be learnt by the participating officer, line management or police force concerned, to address the matter and prevent a reoccurrence of the matter.

We carefully considered whether there were any learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents. 

In this case, the investigation has not identified any learning