MPs defend open letter to Beds PCC about stop and search figures
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Luton South MP Rachel Hopkins, Luton North MP Sarah Owen and Bedford MP Mohammad Yasin wrote an open letter to Beds PCC Kathryn Holloway after Home Office figures revealed black people were more likely to be stopped and searched in Bedfordshire.
In an angry retort (see here), Conservative PCC Mrs Holloway accused the trio of "politicising" the issue ahead of next year's election for a new PCC.
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The three MPs have accepted Mrs Holloway's invitation to an independent stop and search scrutiny panel, but stood by their open letter.
They wrote to Mrs Holloway: "While we appreciate the steps that Bedfordshire Police has taken during your tenure, the Home Office statistics clearly show that there is still an issue that needs to be rectified.
"We have each received a considerable amount of correspondence from concerned constituents regarding the disproportionate use of stop and search against Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities in Bedfordshire.
"As elected officials, it’s our duty to act on these concerns and share them with those accountable in a transparent and open way.
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"Indeed, we note that the blog post and published letter of your colleague, the Conservative Party candidate for the upcoming Bedfordshire PCC elections, raised the same concerns that were referenced in our initial letter."