The use of stop and search has declined significantly since 2011 but this trend appears to be slowing and, in some areas, reversing. Moreover, the power’s disproportionate use against black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people compared to white people has increased in recent years. BAME people are now over four times as likely to be searched as white people, and black people in particular are over nine times as likely to be searched.

This report encourages Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces, and the Home Office to consider drawing on the positive steps being taken across different areas and provide a stronger and more consistent footing for Community Scrutiny Panels.

Published in February 2019 by the Criminal Justice Alliance.