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?

Andover is a location that is targeted by ‘county lines’ drug networks. Six lines were active in Andover and Operation Roast has been running since September to dismantle these networks. There are currently 11 'cuckooed' properties in the town, which is when someone is alleged to have taken over an address to use for things like drug dealing.

Tackling the considerable harm caused to the community by drugs is a priority for us, both as a force and specifically in Test Valley.

The majority of our stops are for drugs (89) or on the suspicion a weapon may be present (17).

Is our use of Stop and Search in Test Valley proportionate?

The latest data from quarter two shows a black person is 7.2 times more likely than a white person to be stopped in Test Valley.

We understand this is high, but to give this some context for you, we have a small black population living in the area (1.1%). For the data to show proportionality, more than 75 white people would need to be stopped for every one black person stopped.

In this period, ten black people were searched, which would mean we would have to carry out more than 750 stops of white people to be proportionate. Of those ten stops, they were all men and all but one were from Andover. Nine of the stops were for suspected possession of drugs with nothing found.

Where can I find more information about stop and search in Test Valley?

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 current district priorities for Test Valley?

The current district priorities for Test Valley are:

• Response and outcomes with domestic abuse

• Anti-social behaviour in Andover and Romsey hot spots

• Drug-related harm