STOPPING and searching members of the public is a “significant intrusion” but Police Scotland said it helped them seize drugs, weapons and stolen property in Fife last year.

The Kingdom’s top cop, Superintendent Derek McEwan, admitted their old approach was wrong, however changes had been made and the practice remained a “vital tool” in the fight against crime.

Between April 2018 and May 2019, there were 1,297 stop searches in Fife with 585 – 45.1 per cent – recorded as positive.

This success rate was higher than the national average and included 827 searches related to drugs, 132 for stolen property, 77 for weapons and four for firearms, while 102 people were suspected of having outstanding warrants against them.

Police Scotland acknowledge that stopping and searching members of the public is “a significant intrusion into their personal liberty and privacy” but said they were “committed to ensuring that when it is necessary to stop and search a person it is carried out in a manner that is lawful, proportionate and accountable”.

At Fife Council’s environment and protective services committee, there was an admission that hadn’t been happening in the past as, compared to other divisions across the country, Fife officers were carrying out much more searches on a voluntary basis than under the power of legislation.

Stopping gangs of youths and asking them to turn out their pockets was typical of the previous approach, and left the force open to accusations of victimisation and ‘military-style’ policing.

Now it’s all done by the book and Mr McEwan said: “It was clear there was reputational risk to the organisation with regards to stop and search and, as such, change was required. This took place through a stop and search improvement plan.

“The introduction of the supervisory review process ensures the right people are searched, for the right reasons and with the correct legal grounds.

“This provides the management team with confidence that stop and search is being carried out in a proper manner and likewise, hopefully reassurance to our communities in Fife.”

Introduced in May 2017, stop and search in Fife is now intelligence-led, officers must have a specific reason to conduct the search and must carry it out using a specific statutory power. In West Fife as a whole last year, there were 233 searches for drugs, 59 for stolen property, 27 for weapons, 22 for warrants, 19 under ‘care and welfare’ and two for firearms.

Police focused on a number of hot spots for anti-social behaviour and minor assaults, including Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Dunfermline and Rosyth.

Convener of the committee Ross Vettraino, who had asked the force for a report on the practice, asked: “Do you think there has been a correlation between an increase in stop and searches and a reduction in violence?”

Mr McEwan responded: “It is a vital tool police have for tackling anti-social behaviour. But we are using it in an intelligence-led way. It is difficult to say if one is responsible for the other.”

The approach by Police Scotland received support in Holyrood with justice secretary Humza Yousaf welcoming last week’s independent report into the use of police stop and search powers, which looked at the year up to May 2018.

He said: “I welcome the significant increase in the proportion of searches which have resulted in a positive outcome, suggesting that stop and search is being used in a more appropriate and targeted way, resulting in a more effective use of police time and resources.”