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?

Our use of stop and search in the district has remained consistent in quarter four of 2023/24, with the main focus being tackling drug related harm, which has been designated a priority for our Hart teams.

We have been proactive in initiating stops, with just over three quarters of the searches being conducted by officers while out on patrol, with it being reassuring that officers are confident identifying the powers available to them and utilising them.

While there was a very slight decrease, we saw 31 positive outcomes this quarter, which is when we find the things we are looking for and the district commander will continue to monitor our use of Stop & Search to ensure that we use our powers effectively, lawfully and proportionately.

Is our use of Stop and Search in Hart proportionate?

In quarter four of 2023/24, there was a decrease in the disportionality for stops. The data showed a black person was 3.6 times more likely to be stopped, while a person of mixed race was 1.4 times more likely to be stopped. This is calculated using Census Data for the population of the area.

To reassure the public these stops are scrutinised by our Independent Advisory Group, who review our written records and view Body Worn Video to ensure officers are using their powers appropriately.

Where can I find more information about Stop & Search in Hart?

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 more information about previous data?

If you want to take a look at data from previous quarters for the Rushmoor district, then you can find that here.

What is the Hart and Rushmoor Independent Advisory Group (IAG) and what do they do?

Each quarter, members of our community meet as part of our IAG to discuss stop and search within the district and conduct a dip sample of searches to ensure they are lawful and proportionate.

Along with this, they will also take a look at locations where there have been a number of stops and individuals who have been stopped multiple times.

As part of our continued commitment to ensuring our use of the Stop and Search powers available to us and the scrutiny of this are transparent, we are now publishing notes from our IAG meetings.

These notes are anonymised, but we hope will help show what our group does. We are keen to broaden this group further and get the views of our community, in particular those with direct experience of stop and search.

If you wish to find out more or join our IAG, you can email [email protected]