‘Much more to do’ to end race disparity in stop and search, says APCC

Latest government figures show that those from ethnic minority communities are still more likely to be stopped and searched than white people.

There were 526,024 stop and searches conducted under section 1 of PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984) by police forces in England and Wales (including British Transport Police), with 66,772 leading to an arrest.

While there was a slight decrease in race disparity, individuals from a black or black British background were still searched at a rate 6.2 times higher than that of those from a white ethnic group (compared with seven times in the previous year).

Those identifying as Asian or Asian British were searched at a rate 2.1 times that of those from a white ethnic group (compared with 2.4 in the previous year), while individuals identifying as mixed ethnicity were searched at a rate 2.3 times that of those from a white ethnic group (compared with 2.4 in the previous year).

APCC leads for equality, diversity and human rights, Alison Lowe OBE and John Campion, said: “It is positive to see a slight increase in the arrest rate for those stopped and searched. “This suggests that the power is being used in a more targeted way.

“Whilst there has been a decrease in disparity, the statistics show that people from ethnic minority communities are still more likely to be stopped and searched than those who are white.

“There is still much more to be done to address the race disparity around stop and search and we are committed to holding forces to account for their use of these powers at a local level.”

Overall, the number of stop and searches was down by 179,888 (25 per cent) compared with the previous year, and eight per cent below the level of stop and search in the year ending March 2020 (the year preceding the pandemic).

However, the Government said this was partly due to an increased level of stop and search in the year ending March 2021 as police enforced Covid-19 lockdown restrictions..

While the volume of arrests is 18 per cent lower than the previous year, the arrest rate increased from 11 per cent to 13 per cent.

Two thirds (66 per cent) of stop and searches in the year ending March 2022 were of males aged between 15 and 34, while this cohort comprises 13 per cent of the overall population.

Males aged 15-19 had the highest rate of stop and search, at 70 stop and searches per 1,000 population in the year ending March 2022.