Stop and Search
If it were me, you wouldn’t do that
Just cos it’s him that he went through that.
Stop him. Search him. And again.
In front of passers by and friends
On Oxford street, in Cambridge, Birmingham, Newcastle, Cornwall, Bath
If it were me, you’d walk straight past
If it were me, I’d be alright.
Because I don’t look like the type to carry knives or commit crimes.
Apparently
I mean, I’m middle class richer / older and I’m light
So know in Britain we give some the right
To carry ammunition
And in Britain we give some the right
To stop and search on pure suspicion
To stop people on the streets and search their bags and clothing on a hunch
A hunch where
Asian and Asian British people get stopped 17 times as much
And Black or Black British people twice as much again
And still those in charge defend it
That these stops should carry on
When over 91% of the stops they made were wrong
Still they cannot see a problem
If you’re innocent it’s fine they say.
We’ll search you then you move along
A short waste of your time they say
A big waste of time I think if 91% are wrong
A waste of my taxes just to move someone along
And a humiliating time to be one of those stopped and searched
Given dirty looks by passers by
Not allowed to question why
Still you stay stop and search is fine
Even if those stopped are hurt
It shows us public we’re protected
It shows police are on the search
It shows more bobbies on the block
It shows our cops are on the pace
It’s just a shame that what we see is based so much more on race
Or the look of someone’s face
Or any of the other false impressions we might make
Of what a criminal would be
A teenager I teach has now been stopped 3 times one single day.
She’s never set a foot wrong but she says that she might start today.
Cos that’s obviously the type of kid she is in the UK.
A label she can’t scrape away, she says it’s written on her face
Written on her tracksuit hems or the earrings that she wears
She says she feels the people stare at her
As police stop and search
She says it makes her wanna punch the lights out of them all
She says it makes her want to start a fight
Still you say stop and search is fine, all right
It shows the public that they’re safe
No mention of the feelings of the ones you stop and say:
“Excuse me, will you show me what’s in your bag please”
“Let me check your coat”
“Don’t talk back”
“Don’t get aggressive”
“I am allowed to search you”
“You look suspicious’
No mention of the attitude
Of those facing these intrusions
No matter of the way these stops
Continue our confusion between
Someone who is guilty and someone the police misjudged
Of someone they feel a hunch for and someone who is right
Someone who’s committed crime and someone who’s not white
Or someone’s who looks ‘like the type’ who might have something on them.
Cos out of over 1 million stops made
91% were wrong then
91% were shamed
91% were watched by people walking past false claims again
91% were angered
91% felt judged
91% lost more faith in police and government
91% were watched by public seeing darker skin or tracksuit hoods
91% were seen as guilty by those walking past with frowning looks
91% were scared, or hurt, or scarred or raged and
91% do not just get on with their day.
And over 90% of those arrested, had no charges later made.
My friend has the right face for that
Stopped and searched again
Stopped and searched again
Stopped and searched again
And handcuffed with the first complaint
Four stripes up his wrist
And a footprint on his face
And a new pent up anger for the government and state
Scars from metal handcuffs that remind him every day
He wasn’t charged of course
Just stopped and searched
Arrested now 2 times
He must’ve looked the type
Taken 10 days off his job just
For court to be reset
He must’ve looked the type
Worried he could lose his job
Despite the false arrest
He must’ve looked the type
Paid trains fees, London transport
Felt his skin tone shine
He must’ve looked the type
Who’s stopped and searched
Then released without a charge for not committing crime.
Still the bosses say its fine.
Makes us public feel more safe
Until we’re the ones stopped and search
For our style or our face
Or our social class or race.
Still it’s good the bosses say
It makes the streets feel safe
As we see certain people stopped and search
Another time, another place
Creating scenes for passers by
Where we can’t tell who’s side we’re on
And assume the one being stopped
Must’ve done something wrong
Must be making crime
And so prejudices rise
Still the bosses say it’s fine.
Perhaps that’s because most bosses here
Are middle class and white.
And have never been stopped or searched
Falsely in their life
Hollie McNish is a published UK poet and spoken word artist, based between London and Cambridge. She has released two poetry albums, ‘Touch’ and ‘Push’. She was UK Slam poetry champion in 2009, coming third in the World Finals in Paris. Performances at venues such as Glastonbury festival, the Royal Albert Hall, Ronnie Scotts Jazz Bar, London’s Southbank Centre and Cambridge University have seen her perform to a large cross section of people from all walks of life.
