Met Police Officers Investigated for Racial Profiling After Repeatedly Searching Black Teen

Eight officers are under scrutiny following six stop-and-search incidents involving a 16-year-old in London, with no criminal findings.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating eight Metropolitan Police officers after a black teenager was searched six times in five months, with no subsequent action taken.
Complaints were made by the Haringey Independent Stop and Search Monitoring Group on behalf of the teenager and his mother, citing racial profiling and insufficient grounds for the searches.
The IOPC has identified potential breaches of police standards in five of the six incidents, including issues related to equality and diversity, use of force, and failure to consider the boy's welfare.
The searches, involving both Territorial Support Group and local borough command officers, were reportedly based on suspicions of drugs or theft and descriptions matching those involved in robberies and knife crime.
The case has sparked concerns over racial profiling and the impact of stop-and-search practices on public confidence in policing, amid a broader race crisis within the Metropolitan Police.