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?

There were fewer stops this quarter, which can be expected due to the winter months. 

As a district our priorities are tackling drug-related harm, domestic abuse and disrupting individuals who are involved in acquisitive crime. As part of thise, we have launched our Priority Crime Team, which targets drug networks in the New Forest and other developing crime trends we identify.

Further to our Priority Crime Team, we also have our Neighbourhood Enforcement Team, which provides support to the local teams to ensure proactive and visible policing, particularly in areas with higher reported crime.

Is Stop and Search proportionate?

The data shows you are more likely to be stopped if you are from a minority ethnicity, but it is important to look at this data in the context of the demographic of the New Forest.

Of the stops carried out by officers, five were of people of mixed heritage, four of Asian people and two of these were of a black person. Two followed a traffic intervention on the A31, near the district’s eastern border, and four occurred during one stop of a car where drugs were found. Overall, 85 per cent of our stops were of white people.

We know that some families who have lost loved ones to violence and drug related harm advocate police searches but we also know many people have concerns about whether policing powers are used fairly. As a force we know that it helps us to keep people safe and spend considerable time scrutinising how it is used. But, we also recognise that our view alone is not enough.

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 & Search in the New Forest?

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 the data from previous quarters?

If you want to view data from previous quarters, then you can check out both the graphic and text-only versions of this below.

What is the New Forest 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.

Unfortunately, due to members leaving the panel in the summer of 2023, we have had to recruit new members. This has been completed and will begin their meetings soon.

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