Child Q Met Police officer followed lead on strip-search, panel told
Giving evidence to the misconduct panel, PC Wray, who undertook the search alongside PC Kristina Linge, admitted a series of failings in her handling of the incident.Robert Morris, representing her, asked: "Do you think you were performing an overly intrusive search?""I thought the skipper had authorised it, I thought the officers at the scene had covered all bases," she replied.Asked whether she was aware of certain stereotypes relating to black people, PC Wray replied: "If I am aware of the stereotypes, I don't use those stereotypes to make any decisions."Those decisions are purely based on facts, on my surroundings, on the intel; I prefer to make very objective decisions."
'Such a quick interaction'
The panel heard records showed the majority of the individuals stopped and searched by PC Wray were black or Asian.Mr Morris continued: "Do you think your actions have been unconsciously biased by race?""No, not at all," she replied.Asked if she thought the search should have taken place at all, PC Wray responded: "No.""There were so many things that should've been done," she told the panel. "We should've spoken to the teachers more, we should've phoned mum, we should've spoken to the sergeant more."Mr Morris went on to ask why she did not stop to do those things and reassess the situation, to which PC Wray replied: "I was just following the lead of other officers."It was just such a quick interaction; I am sorry and I should've stopped and I should've thought and I should've checked, I am really sorry," she added.
The officer, who was 25 at the time of the incident, said of the search: "I never intended it to be humiliating and degrading."The hearing continues.
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