Statistics released today have shown that 2880 youngsters under the age of 16 have been stopped and searched by police in Mid-Scotland and Fife. Children as young as six have been subject to stop and searches and there are two separate cases of infants aged one being searched by Police in Perth and Kinross and Fife.
With 1884 stop and searches conducted on youngsters in Fife, Police in the area have taken the decision to write to all parents whose children have been stopped and searched to explain why this has happened.
Between January and November 2014 children were most often searched for weapons, alcohol and stolen property.
There have been 65 searches on children under 14 years old in Perth and Kinross, and 641 in Fife.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“Stop and search is a valuable tool to detect and deter crime, but only if used proportionately and not abused. A one-size-fits-all approach can’t and won’t work and Police Scotland should be alert to this.
“Unsuccessful searches on children can result in a bad relationship between youngsters and the police as they get older.
“There have been 873 searches on children under 14 years old in the past year which is a large number by anyone’s standards. Police in Fife have been particularly pro-active in using stop and search and questions must be asked as to the success of this method when measured against the 6% rise in crime in the area over the past year.
“Children are vulnerable and less likely to know their rights when it comes to stop and search and Police across Mid-Scotland and Fife must be careful not to abuse this power when it comes to tackling youth crime.”