Stephen Lawrence's brother complains of racism

[Stuart]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20958573

Stephen Lawrence's brother has apparently complained to the met that he has been stopped 25 times because he is black.

Now, this complaint is a serious accusation but what troubles me is the complaint was made last night and it was in the papers. So, the papers heard about it almost as soon as it happened.


Anyone else find this odd?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Now, this complaint is a serious accusation but what troubles me is the complaint was made last night and it was in the papers. So, the papers heard about it almost as soon as it happened.


Anyone else find this odd?

No, because the way it's reported it seems it was Stuart Lawrence and / or his solicitor that told the papers

[Osem]

No, I could imagine his advisors might want maximum media coverage of this matter starting ASAP.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Stuart

[Stephen Lawrence's brother has apparently complained to the met that he has been stopped 25 times because he is black.

Anyone else find this odd?

Nope. All about perception. By making it public, knowing full well the Police can't comment till its investigated, his lawyers are ensuring public perception is he is being targeted and the Met are guilty so are keeping quiet.

It's probably a self fulfilling problem, from my reading of the articles he is driving about a dodgy part of London in a moderately expensive car so likely to get pulled anyway. From that point if he sees cops he is likely to act differently and more defensively when he sees them and make it more likely he will be searched as the cops instinct is he has something to hide.

[Pauls9]

My step-son is half Colombian and, in the summer, can look somewhat Asian. He's in his mid-twenties, well-educated, well-spoken and well-behaved. A couple of years back, he had a job travelling around the country and was often stopped, searched and questioned by police while waiting for his colleagues at train stations. Usually he put up with it, but once he had the temerity to question why and ended up being taken to the local nick in handcuffs and strip searched. It seemed strange that none of this ever happened to his plain English-appearing associates.

[Hom3r]

Questions about this, does he have a record, if so of course he gonna be stopped.

If he stopped while driving what is he driving, some makes will get stopped more that others.

Strange, I have had Audis, BMWs, a Lexus, and other cars of that ilk - never been stopped (outside and inside London).

25 times over several years ,not really a lot is it ,i heard this on the news today and thought it was last year only but it seems that Mr lawrence is surprised that the police stop more blacks than whites in a predominantly black area where most crime is committed by blacks....and this guys a teacher

[Will21st]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Strange, I have had Audis, BMWs, a Lexus, and other cars of that ilk - never been stopped (outside and inside London).

is you black?

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Strange, I have had Audis, BMWs, a Lexus, and other cars of that ilk - never been stopped (outside and inside London).

I suppose your chances of being stopped depends what you were doing in the car and who was in it with you.

Ive never been stopped and searched either on foot or in car. A relative (he's white BTW) gets stopped regularly in his car and has it, and the occupants searched.

Now unless Strathclyde Police have a vendetta against people with 90's indie band hair there isn't a lot of difference between us car, age and area wise but something he does triggers the cops radar.

Originally Posted by martyh

25 times over several years ,not really a lot is it ,i heard this on the news today and thought it was last year only but it seems that Mr lawrence is surprised that the police stop more blacks than whites in a predominantly black area where most crime is committed by blacks....and this guys a teacher

25 times over several years is a lot. I have never been stopped. I live in a predominately white area and often go around predominately white areas with quite high amounts of crime and still have never been stopped. When I talk around predominately black areas with high amounts of crime I still have never been stopped. Ever. Harlow, Islington, Hackney, Essex, Enfield, Kent. Never, ever, been stopped.

Maybe they had good reason to stop him each time but let's not pretend that being stopped 25 times is something a law-abiding citizen should expect.