Police anger as officers are told they CAN'T stop and search suspects who smell of cannabis.
Police officers have been told they can't stop a search suspects just because they smell cannabis, a watchdog said yesterday. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) upheld a complaint made by Emmanuel Arthur, the founder of Black Cyclists Network, who said he was 'harassed and humiliated in a public space' during the incident in November last year. The watchdog found the Metropolitan Police officer's grounds for the search, under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, were not reasonable. The IOPC said the smell of cannabis was not enough by itself to justify a stop and search under police guidelines. Ex-Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville blasted the decision, he said: ''At a time when crime is increasing, the police do not need any more barriers to stop them targeting drug users and dealers.' Mail.
To the IOPC I hereby do award a LoonyTunesWatch coconut.
