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?

Our recently launched High Harm Team have been hard at work, and are committed to identifying those most at harm from and causing harm through drug-related crime.

We know that this currently has the largest impact on those between the ages of 10 and 24, with 82 of our searches in the quarter involving people in that age range.

The majority of our stops conducted are on the grounds that there is suspicion there are drugs present, while we have also conducted a number of searches for bladed articles and offensive weapons.

Is our use of stop and search in Rushmoor proportionate?

The latest data shows a black person is 2.7 times more likely to be stopped compared to a white person, with a mixed race person 2.5 times more likely and an Asian person 2.1 times more likely. Those of other ethnicities were 6.2 times more likely to be stopped.

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 Rushmoor?

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 in Rushmoor?

The current district priorities for Rushmoor are:

• Tackling the perpetrators of most serious violence
• Domestic abuse
• Rural crime