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 focus on targeting violent and knife crime has seen a five per cent increase in stops in the last quarter.

When looking at the areas where there are clusters of stop-searches, you won't be surprised to see the city centre accounts for a large percentage. For example, Above Bar and Bedford Place saw 22 stops alone, with a positive outcome rate there of 23 per cent.

This city centre focus is a result of officers listening to the community and partner and seeking tackle criminality in these locations.

Our positive outcomes are up by almost 10 per cent, and this is where I want to continue to see improvements. This simply means the person searched was found with the item we were searching for.

We have seen a number of Section 34 dispersal orders used following anti-social behaviour, and an identified group of young people carrying knives. There were 25 searches of under 18s in relation to offensive weapons. I know this will be concerning and we will continue to focus on those choosing to carry weapons.

Is our use of stop and search in Southampton proportionate?

If you are black then our data shows you are four times more likely to be searched in Southampton.

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 and search in Southampton?

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 does this fit in with our district priorities in Southampton?

The current district priorities for Southampton are:

• Op Hem (violence linked to sex workers)
• Op Defender (Night Time Economy)
• Op Trick (County lines network)
• Op Hike (Child Sexual Exploitation)
• Op Glover (motorbike-enabled crime)

What is the Southampton 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.

For the first time across Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, notes from an IAG meeting are being published. These notes are anonymised, but we hope will help show what our group does. We are keen to broaden this group further and get the views of our community, in particular those with direct experience of stop and search. 

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