Black people five times as likely to be stopped and searched by Thames Valley police
Thames Valley Police say their officers have received further training recently in stop and search.
Last updated 3rd Nov 2020
Black people in Thames Valley are five times as likely as white people to be stopped and searched by police, new figures reveal.
With the highest number of stop and searches used across England and Wales for seven years, the Runnymede Trust warned the power is being used to disproportionately target the black community.
Home Office data shows officers in Thames Valley carried out 12,245 stop and searches in the year to March – up from 8,422 the year before. Using population estimates for the area, the figures show 15.5 per 1,000 black people were stopped, compared to just 3.2 per 1,000 white people.
This means black people were 4.9 times as likely to be subjected to a stop and search.
Similarly, 8.5 out of 1,000 people across all BAME groups were stopped, making them three times as likely as white people. These only apply to cases where the suspect's ethnicity was recorded, which was done in the majority (78%) of instances.
The power to stop and search is permitted under section one of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, allowing police to search people and vehicles for things like drugs or a weapon without a warrant.
Across England and Wales, police stopped 54 per 1,000 black people in 2019-20 – compared to a rate of just six per 1,000 white people. This means they were 8.9 times as likely to be stopped, though this was down slightly from 9.7 the year before.
Alba Kapoor, policy officer at the Runnymede Trust said: “These latest figures are yet more evidence of the structural racism embedded in our criminal justice system.
"That black people are so disproportionately targeted under stop and search shows a broken system in desperate need of repair.
“We are clear that these powers are not fit for purpose, discriminatory and hugely damaging to BME communities.
“For as long as stop and search exists in its current form it will cause ongoing discrimination of BME communities at the hands of the police."
Police forces across England and Wales carried out the highest number of stop and searches in seven years, with the figure rising by more than 50% in 12 months to 558,973.
In Thames Valley, most (67%) searches by police were looking for drugs with a further 13% for offensive weapons.
Superintendent Gavin Wong, the Thematic Lead for Stop & Search in Thames Valley Police.
"Stop and search is a really important tool which allows officers to allay or confirm suspicions about individuals without having to utilise the power of arrest.
"This is important because the decision to take someone’s liberty away shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Force is fully committed to ensuring that stop and search is used appropriately because we understand the impact it can have on communities if used incorrectly.
"Thames Valley Police is committed to the Home Office ‘Best Use of Stop and Search’ initiative and has a number of processes in place to scrutinise that its use is appropriate.
"The use of stop and search is guided by intelligence which helps to target those individuals suspected of committing crime. Understanding the disproportionate use of any power is important because we do not want to discriminate against any particular community or group.
"Stop and search is subject of independent scrutiny through a strategic stop and search independent advisory group (IAG) and also at local levels. This helps us to identify whether use is inappropriate and therefore allow us to learn and make changes.
"We are always looking to improve the way we do business and stop and search is no different. Officers have recently received additional training in how to use stop and search to ensure that they comply with guidance but also to ensure that can use it effectively. The strategic IAG and other force oversight is there to identify areas which need improving but also areas of best practice which can then be shared.
"Thames Valley Police performs well against other forces in relation to stop and search with the number of searches conducted lower than the national average. This reflects the training and intelligence led approach which aims to ensure that its use is correct and proportionate.
"However, stop and search is a valid tool for ensuring that people are not arrested unnecessarily and also has a preventative element. It is a highly effective approach when dealing with serious threats of violence, such as knife crime and communities understand and appreciate its use in these circumstances."
The National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for stop and search, Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock, said the power is an "important tool" to stop crime, and was responsible for the removal of 11,000 knives, firearms and other weapons from the streets last year.
He added: “The issue of disparity of stop and search amongst people from non-white and minority backgrounds continues to be an important issue which needs addressing.
"I welcome the decrease in the disparity faced by people from these backgrounds in the use of stop and search which I believe follows increased efforts from police forces to demonstrate transparency in the way in which these powers are used."
The Home Office said no-one should be targeted because of their race and they continue to work with the police to ensure the power is used lawfully, proportionately and led by intelligence.