Police in the part of Leicestershire are trialling a new way of recording information about people stopped and questioned as a result of police patrols.

The pilot commenced in November for three months and will subsequently be evaluated by the Home Office.

This new approach is part of the Leicestershire Constabulary's ongoing work to cut bureaucracy and spend more time fighting crime. It will also mean that people stopped and questioned, if behaving lawfully, will be subject to less questioning and be on their way again more quickly.

Police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) have the power, under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to stop members of the public and ask them to explain why they are in a particular place, what they are doing and why they have a particular item in their possession. This process is known as "Stop and Account."

Before the trial started people stopped had to wait several minutes for police officers to complete a form collecting personal details and recording the fact they had been spoken to. Now only the minimum necessary information is being collected and recorded at the push of a button on an officer's radio. People stopped will also be given a card containing the details of the officer conducting the stop in case they need to get back in touch at a later date.

Superintendent Steve Boulton of Leicestershire Constabulary's Community Safety Bureau said:

"We are always looking for ways to cut form filling and free up officers to spend more time on the beat. We are using technology to do this; reducing the amount of information gathered and speeding up the process of gathering it.  At the same time we can ensure that we are using our powers proportionately and fairly.

 "The recording process for Stop and Account was one of the recommendations of the inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence. It was designed to allow the Police to ensure that no one group was targeted disproportionately. This new approach uses technology to achieve the same result more quickly."

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"I am determined to support our police officers so that they spend more time saving lives on our streets. Giving police the means to dramatically reduce form-filling bureaucracy in Leicestershire will free up valuable officer time.

"The recent Policing Green Paper set out radical plans to cut red tape to allow police to focus on the most serious crime and on local issues. Today, police chiefs and I will be discussing how we can fast-track work to enable officers to spend more time dealing with crime, and policing our streets."

The Independent Reducing Bureaucracy Advocate, Jan Berry, said:

"Axing the overly bureaucratic stop and account form is a step in the right direction and will allow officers to use their time more effectively.  Forces must ensure the advantage gained is not lost by the introduction of local systems which remove the ability of officers to use their judgement effectively on the street. I will be working with forces up and down the country to identify ways where we can maximise the time spent by officers within communities; tackling crime and disorder. "