Stop and Search

The force has a commitment to becoming more open and transparent. Part of this is being better at sharing and engaging on some of the powers that our police officers use to keep people safe, and that includes Stop and Search.

We believe that greater scrutiny will further ensure that our use of these is right and proper.

What are we searching for?

Between October and December 2024, the third quarter of the year, we conducted 162 overall stops in Basingstoke, with 55 of these resulting in a positive outcome - where an item is found. 

Of the stops we conducted, 96 were linked to drugs (59 per cent), while there were 23 stops each for stolen property and offensive weapons (14 per cent). We also conducted 13 stops on the grounds someone was believed to be going equipped to steal (eight per cent).

While being stopped is of course very intrusive, the powers are available to officers to facilitate searches without needing to conduct an arrest. In 107 instances (66 per cent), no further action was taken. Despite this, on 25 occasions (15 per cent) we did still need to arrest someone based on what we had found. There were also 25 community resolutions issued (15 per cent).

Is our use of Stop and Search in Basingstoke proportionate?

The data from the current quarter - Q3 of 2024/25, which covers October to December last year - tells us a black person is 2.5 times more likely to be stopped in Basingstoke, while a person of mixed heritage is 3 times as likely to be stopped. The is based on seven stops of a black person, and 11 of a person of mixed ethnicity, with 129 stops of a white person.

This data is calculated against the population information from the 2021 Census.

Understanding people's views and experiences of Stop and Search is incredibly important to us, and we know there are concerns about how fairly it is used, as well as those who support its use.

We need views from others so we are doing far more engagement than we did previously. Scrutiny involving our Independent Advisory Groups (made up of members of the public) is therefore part of our approach, and we would encourage people all of our communities to get involved in these groups. ​We also want to hear more views on Stop and Search. Follow us on Facebook if you’d like to take part in discussions about policing in your local area.

Where can I find more information about Stop and Search in Basingstoke?

You can see more about the numbers by looking at the infographic, below. We have also provided the same data in a different format if that is easier for you.

Where can I find previous data for Basingstoke?

If you want to view data from previous quarters for the Basingstoke district, then you can find them here.