know the facts
The law is clear and unforgiving
- if your presence, knowledge or actions lead to a serious crime
such
as murder you too could be charged with murder. This is referred
to in law as 'joint enterprise'. Find out more about joint
enterprise.
Carrying a gun
• If you hide guns for others you're putting
your own life at risk. • Get caught with a gun and you
could face 5 years in prison, whether you're male or female.
This doesn't have to be your future.
Carrying a knife
• If you carry a knife you could go to
prison for 4 years. • You could serve a life sentence
if found guilty of murder • The law is clear and unforgiving
- you don't have to have your hand on the knife to be convicted for murder.
If you are with theknife man you too could be found guilty
of the killing. • The law places a heavy burden on
young people in groups. You need to ask yourself constantly who is in
a group, are they carrying weapons and what might they do
with those weapons? • This is referred to in law as
joint enterprise. Find out more about joint
enterprise.
Stop and Search
Why is it done?
Stop and Search powers can help the police detect and prevent crime and make our communities safer.What is a stop and search?
A stop and search is when a police officer stops you and searches you, your clothing and anything you are carrying, your vehicle and any passengers. Only a police officer can stop and search you, however, under the Terrorism Act 2000, police community support officers may search your vehicle and bag under the supervision of a police officer. You can be stopped and searched: • If police think you are carrying a weapon, drugs or stolen property • If there has been, or there is the possibility of serious violence or disorder in the area • If police are looking for a suspect who fits your description • If police believe you have committed a crime • As part of anti-terrorism efforts. You can be searched in a public place or anywhere if the police believe you have committed a crime.What happens if i am stopped and searched?
Before you are searched, the police officer should tell you: • That you must wait to be searched • What law they are using and your rights • Their name • The station they work at • Why they chose you • What they are looking for • That you have a right to be given a form straight away showing details of the stop and search. A record is made of the stop and search process,
this ensures an officer is accountable for his or her actions and
enables monitoring of the use of stop and search powers which
helps to ensure that their use is fair. The police
will ask you for your name, address and date of birth. You
do not have to give this information if you don’t want to unless
the police say they arereporting you for an offence. If
this is the case then you could be arrested if you do not tell them.
The record must contain the following information: •
Officer details • The date, time and place of the stop
and search • The object, reason and outcome of the stop
and search • Your self-defined ethnicity •
The vehicle registration number (if relevant) • Your
name or, if withheld, a description
Find out more by watching our video
about Stop and Search