Key information
Request reference number: 210
Date of response:
Summary of request
On Thursday 21 March >10 police officers (Met Police & BTP) set up an ad hoc police check at Turnpike Lane tube station exit. I have seen similar checks at Tottenham Hale station last year.
When asked, one officer said these were "to reassure the public" given the increase in knife crime. When asked how racial profiling was prevented he said people only get pulled out if the dog identifies them which suggests it is more about drugs then knife crime. I have concerns about the use of public funds for these measures which I view as potentially spreading a culture of mistrust, control counterproductive.
In order to understand whether my concerns are justified, could you
1) share the evidence you have that checks at tube exits are an effective measure to prevent knife crime? You could include number of people with knife identified per intervention, evidence of how regularly stabbings happen following a tube journey by the attacker, or similar.
2) explain how location and timing of interventions are chosen with a view to maximise effectiveness? Why did you intervene in Turnpike Lane on that day?
3) set out the measures you are taking to prevent racial profiling during these interventions? 4) share the number of searches (and possible follow up actions) you have made by ethnicity at the Turnpike Lane intervention and the average from similar interventions since January 2018?
5) outline the cost of the Turnpike Lane operation and list all comparable operations across London since January 2018 (incl location)?
Related documents
Turnpike Lane tube station FOI response