Stop and search: Bridget says parents must be kept informed

5.24.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 18th Sep 2008

Police must keep parents informed, says Bridget

Following news that police will have to fill in fewer forms for stop and search, Liberal Democrat campaigner Bridget Fox is demanding that parents are kept informed.

Bridget has written to Islington Borough Commander Bob Carr, asking him to ensure that parents are informed in writing if their children are found with knives or drugs.

Bridget says:

"I welcome the news that police officers in London will now have to fill in fewer forms every time they stop and search someone.

"Let's have police officers using hand held computers to record information, or radioing details in to civilian staff at the police station.

"Islington residents want the police to be busy on the streets, preventing and solving crimes, not buried in paperwork.

"We also need to know that the police are working in partnership with families and the community.

"That means writing to families whose kids get found with knives or drugs. Parents need to know what's going on.

"And it means keeping numbers on which groups are stopped, so we know that Islington residents are being treated fairly.

"It's good news that crime in Islington is falling, but fear of crime and concern about knife crime in particular, remains high.

"I'm asking Bob Carr to ensure that we cut the forms, but we don't stop people being informed."