Bailey backs plans but top cop chief says they'll do 'untold damage'

Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hammersmith, Shaun Bailey has backed a change in law which would make it easier for the police to stop and search people.

But Hammersmith and Fulham's Police Borough Commander Ali Dizaei says that the new measures will do 'untold damage' to community relations in the area.

Reforms to the police, aimed at cutting red tape, including the controversial relaxation of the stop and search rules - are due to be published by home secretary Jacqui Smith next week.

The government will also propose an extension of schemes to allow police at borough commander level to introduce random stop and searches in designated crime hotspots.

Critics claim this represents a return of the hated "sus" laws, of the 1980s in which police routinely stopped large groups of black men.

This inflamed racial tensions and led to the Brixton riots of 1981 in which more than 300 people were injured, including more than 200 police officers, and 83 premises were damaged along with 23 vehicles, at an estimated cost of £7.5m.

However, Mr Bailey, who runs two charities in addition to his political work, backed the changes to police legislation, saying it could save lives.

"I'm one of those black men that police will be stopping, but if that's going to keep just one of those black boys in our community safe that's fine." he said.

"Our children are not safe. Boys I know personally are disappearing from gun and knife crime. When it comes down to the safety to our children and all of us we must get something done."

Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei, who is also president of the National Black Police Association, said: "The reintroduction of such draconian powers will do untold damage to police and community relations and damage the fight against terrorism at a time when we most need the support of all communities."

The proposals come in a review commissioned by the previous home secretary, John Reid, and undertaken in the past six months by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, former chief constable of Northern Ireland.

Emma Midgley

February 6, 2008