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?

In Havant, you will notice that there has been an increase in the amount of Street Encounters that have been completed this month.

The intelligence picture in the District indicates that we need to maintain our focus on Drug supply.  We have a High Harm Team that focus on this type of crime and work with our associated partners to provide support to vulnerable people whilst creating a hostile environment for offenders, particularly those linked to County Lines Networks. Looking at the number of searches conducted, 68% of searches were drug related with 11% focusing on knife crime and acquisitive offences, that again can be linked back to the drug related problem.

Is our use of Stop and Search in Havant proportionate?

In Havant, a black person was 8.8 times more likely to be stopped than a white person in quarter one. This figure is calculated using data from the 2011 Census, at which point there was 117,162 white people living in the town and 388 black people.

Understanding this disproportionality is extremely important to us, as we know it will be to the community as well. A cross-section of stops is reviewed each quarter by our Independent Advisory Group to ensure that what we are doing is lawful and the power is being used correctly.

We are also keen to hear views and experiences from people, whether that be informally, or as part of our IAGs.

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

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.

How does this fit in with our District Priorities in Havant?

The current district priorities in Havant are:

• Tackling drug supply and drug-related harm
• Domestic abuse