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?

More than half (58 per cent) of all our searches were in relation to drug offences, which remains at a consistent level for the city. Portsmouth officers carry out more proactive drug searches linked to supply than anywhere else in the county, with an arrest rate of 16 per cent.

After a busy previous quarter, where the use of stop and search was high, we have seen a drop in the use of this tactic with 120 less stop searches.

Is our use of Stop and Search in Portsmouth proportionate?

In the last quarter, the data showed a black person is 3.2 times more likely to be stopped in Portsmouth than a white person, a significant decrease on the previous quarter. In part, this will be due to us now using the 2021 Census data to calculate this figure, which is more representative of the city as it is now.

We understand that this disproportionality will be a concern to people, and we are constantly working to review and understand this. A cross-section of stops also gets reviewed by the District's Independent Advisory Group, to ensure stops being carried our are lawful.

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

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 Portsmouth?

The current district priorities in Portsmouth are:

• Drug-related harm
• Working with high-risk and vulnerable children and adults
• Anti-social behaviour in and around Nessus Street
• Dedicated summer patrols of the seafront, Southsea Common and parks