Race relations group Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda has described the police’s intention to use stop-and-search powers over the Hallowe’en period as “excessive and unreasonable”.

The Bermuda Police Service announced that they would be enforce section 315F of the Criminal Code Act to stop and search people without reasonable suspicion.

“It will no doubt result in unintended consequences, as happened in 2011 when BPS statistics showed that racial profiling was occurring under section 315F with people of colour being stopped and searched at much higher rates than whites, in particular young, black males,” a Curb spokesman said in a release today.

“Curb has been advocating since 2011 for section 315F to be repealed, as we believe this piece of legislation is in violation of Bermuda’s Constitution, and this is supported by separate legal opinions commissioned by the Centre for Justice.

“Targeted stop-and-search without reasonable suspicion results in an alienation of the black community and young people, violation of civil liberties and human rights, economic and potential social costs, and is a social and moral price that our community cannot afford to pay.

“Curb calls on the Bermuda Police Service to rethink their decision to use section 315F during the Hallowe’en period and instead work within the 2006 PACE Act, which requires reasonable suspicion for any member of the public being stopped and searched, ie, the police must have a reason or reasons that they suspect an individual is committing an arrestable offence.”

• For the full Curb release, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”.