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Reducing Ethnic Profiling in the European Union - Open Society ...

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UNITED KINGDOMYouth-Police Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g on Stop and SearchSecond Wave is a youth arts project that organizes tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g workshops on stop andsearch with young people and <strong>the</strong> Lewisham Police and Territorial Support Group(TSG) <strong>in</strong> London. 214 Workshops <strong>in</strong>volve 6–8 youth participants and 6-8 police participants.Workshops are designed by <strong>the</strong> young people (with <strong>the</strong> help of a tutor),and <strong>in</strong>clude drama-based games, trust exercises, and role-play scenarios explor<strong>in</strong>gstreet encounters comb<strong>in</strong>ed with <strong>in</strong>-depth discussion of police-youth <strong>in</strong>teractions.Workshops exam<strong>in</strong>ed issues of ownership of public space and perceptions of youngpeople and identity <strong>in</strong> relation to <strong>the</strong> record<strong>in</strong>g of ethnicity on stop forms. In roleplays, officers wear civilian clo<strong>the</strong>s, and when roles are reversed, young people puton police uniforms. The role plays are also taken <strong>in</strong>to public spaces. The discussionshave cont<strong>in</strong>ued from one workshop session to ano<strong>the</strong>r, develop<strong>in</strong>g bonds between<strong>the</strong> young people and officers.The police officers <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se workshops have developed a deeper understand<strong>in</strong>gof young peoples’ experiences. One senior officer noted that <strong>the</strong> workshopchallenged police th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g and gave <strong>the</strong>m greater <strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to young people’s expectations,and that it fostered a more open, transparent and accountable approach toaddress<strong>in</strong>g crime and community safety issues. He also stated that it has “significantlydeveloped officers’ communication skills and ability to relate to young people,”and that this <strong>in</strong> turn had engendered trust <strong>in</strong> young people. For <strong>the</strong>ir part, <strong>the</strong> youngpeople <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> process developed a greater understand<strong>in</strong>g of stop-and-searchpowers and polic<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> general. Many have become <strong>in</strong>volved with local governmentbodies, through <strong>the</strong> Lewisham Police Consultative Group and o<strong>the</strong>r forums, andare participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> an outreach program to expand <strong>the</strong> workshops to local schools.Ano<strong>the</strong>r London community organization, called “Not Ano<strong>the</strong>r Drop,” developed ayouth-led stop and search tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g package. 215 Not Ano<strong>the</strong>r Drop identified youngpeople ages 15 to 19 of different backgrounds who had all been stopped and searchedand wanted to work with <strong>the</strong> police to improve <strong>the</strong>ir relationships with young people.The young people were tra<strong>in</strong>ed to develop, facilitate, and deliver tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g sessions,which <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong>n paid to deliver to <strong>the</strong> police and community groups. Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gsessions are led by two young people, with an <strong>in</strong>dependent advisor provid<strong>in</strong>g support,and take place on even<strong>in</strong>gs and weekends to fit around work and school schedules.The tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g is compulsory for all officers with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> borough.REDUCING ETHNIC PROFILING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 129

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