Transparency

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?

Tackling drug-related harm is a priority for Fareham as a district and this can be seen in the latest data from quarter one of 2022-23, during which 70 per cent of our searches conducted were on suspicion of drugs being present.

We also carried out a number of stops to search for stolen goods.

Is our use of Stop and Search in Fareham proportionate?

In the latest data, the disproportionality number for all ethnicities was zero, meaning there were not more likely to be stopped in Fareham compared to a white person.

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 Fareham?

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.

So how does this fit in with our district priorities for Fareham?

The current district priorities in Fareham are:

• Preventing, reducing and tackling perpetrators of drug-related harm (DRH)
• Covid-19
• Working with partners to reduce anti-social behaviour