They may not have caught any terrorists, but at least they nabbed a few petty criminals. Why not just stop and search everyone until we find a terrorist?

(thelift)
The UK Home Office statistics showed that 101,248 people were stopped and searched in England, Wales and Scotland under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act. Of the 506 arrests that resulted, none was terrorism-related. After a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights UK police are not allowed to stop and search people unless they “reasonably suspect” them of being a terrorist.

The statistics also showed that no terror suspects had been held in custody before charge for longer than 14 days since 2007. The latest figures will raise doubts over the future of controversial powers which allow police to detain terror suspects for between 14 and 28 days before charging them. Detention and stop and search powers are being looked at as part of a review of the government’s counter-terrorism policy by the Liberal Democrat peer Lord Ken Macdonald, due to be published shortly.
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