Section 60 powers in place in Hednesford

We’ll be using Section 60 powers in the Hednesford area of Cannock, including Hednesford Park, until 12 midnight tonight (Saturday 16 March).

It follows information about potential violence and this allows us to stop and search people we suspect may be involved in violence involving weapons, without the need to have reasonable grounds.

Chief Superintendent Emily Clarke said: “As always, our main priority is to keep everyone safe. The Section 60 is in place for a specific time period, until 12 midnight tonight, in a defined area, based on specific information we have and to prevent disorder.”

A Section 60 authorisation means that we can stop and search people for weapons and in this case a s60AA has also been authorised to allow officers to require an individual to remove a face covering.

Section 60 allows any uniformed constable to stop pedestrians or those in vehicles and search them and their property for offensive weapons, regardless of whether there are any grounds for suspecting possession of such items. This is what makes Section 60 a suspicionless search.

For this to happen a senior officer (those who are Superintendent or above) must believe that serious violence has happened in an area, or is about to happen, before they agree to this power being put in place.

It’s called a Section 60, or S60, because it is allowed under Section 60 and Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

This does not mean people will be stopped indiscriminately and officers will still follow usual stop and search processes including:

• explaining why a person has been stopped, what object the officer is searching for, the legislation being used etc
• recording the interaction on body worn video
• offering a receipt to the person who has been stopped

If you have any information on knife crime/violence, contact us on Live Chat on our website www.staffordshire.police.uk in an emergency dial 999.