# Police Stop and Search: Why Black People Are Stopped 8 Times More Than White People

> Black people in England and Wales are 8.4 times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than white people. Despite this disparity, stop and search finds weapons or drugs in only 17% of cases, raising questions about effectiveness and racial bias.

*Section: News — By Daily Junction Editorial Team (Newsroom) — Published January 20, 2025 — 10 min read*

Canonical URL: https://dailyjunction.org/news/police-stop-search-racial-disparity
Tags: policing, stop and search, racial disparity, civil liberties, police powers, discrimination

## Key takeaways

- Police conducted 626,000 stop and searches in 2024, with Black people 8.4 times more likely to be stopped than white people
- Only 17% of stop and searches result in arrest or finding of weapons/drugs, meaning 83% find nothing
- Section 60 searches (no reasonable suspicion required) have increased by 140% since 2018, with even lower success rates
- Young Black men in London are stopped an average of 3 times per year, creating mistrust and damaging police-community relations
- The Macpherson Report (1999) warned that disproportionate stop and search undermines public confidence, but disparity has worsened

Police in England and Wales conducted **626,000 stop and searches** in the year ending September 2024, with **Black people 8.4 times more likely** to be stopped than white people, according to Home Office statistics. Despite this disparity, stop and search finds weapons or drugs in only **17% of cases**, meaning **83% of searches find nothing**. The use of **Section 60 searches**—which do not require reasonable suspicion—has increased by **140% since 2018**, with even lower success rates of just **8%**. Young Black men in London are stopped an average of **3 times per year**, creating deep mistrust and damaging police-community relations. The **Macpherson Report (1999)**, which investigated the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, warned that disproportionate stop and search undermines public confidence in policing, but the disparity has worsened in the 25 years since. Here is everything you need to know about stop and search: how it works, why the racial disparity exists, and whether it actually reduces crime.

## What Is Stop and Search?

Stop and search is a police power that allows officers to stop and search a person or vehicle if they have **reasonable grounds to suspect** the person is carrying:

- **Illegal drugs**
- **Weapons** (knives, firearms, offensive weapons)
- **Stolen property**
- **Items that could be used to commit a crime** (e.g., burglary tools)

The power is governed by the **Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)**, which requires officers to:

- **Have reasonable suspicion**: Officers must have specific, objective grounds to suspect the person is carrying something illegal—a 'hunch' or stereotype is not sufficient.
- **Explain the search**: Officers must tell the person why they are being searched, what they are looking for, and their legal rights.
- **Provide a record**: Officers must give the person a written record of the search, including the officer's name, the reason for the search, and the outcome.

### Section 60: Stop and Search Without Suspicion

**Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994** is a more controversial power that allows police to stop and search **anyone** in a designated area **without needing reasonable suspicion**, if a senior officer (Inspector or above) believes:

- **Serious violence may occur** in the area, or
- **People are carrying weapons** in the area

Section 60 can be authorised for up to **24 hours** (extendable to 48 hours) and applies to everyone in the designated area, regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing.

Section 60 is supposed to be used sparingly, in response to specific intelligence about imminent violence. However, it has been used increasingly widely, particularly in London and other major cities.

## The Scale of Stop and Search

The latest Home Office statistics (year ending September 2024) show:

- **626,000 stop and searches** conducted in England and Wales
- **17% resulted in arrest** or finding of weapons/drugs
- **83% found nothing**
- **Section 60 searches**: 52,000 (8% of total), with only **8% success rate**

### Racial Disparity

The racial disparity in stop and search is stark:

| Ethnicity | Stop and Searches per 1,000 Population | Disparity Ratio (vs White) |
|-----------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------|
| Black | 52 | 8.4x |
| Asian | 10 | 1.6x |
| Mixed | 20 | 3.2x |
| White | 6.2 | 1x |

This means:

- **Black people are stopped 8.4 times more** than white people
- **Asian people are stopped 1.6 times more** than white people
- **Mixed ethnicity people are stopped 3.2 times more** than white people

The disparity is even worse for Section 60 searches:

- **Black people account for 50% of Section 60 searches**, despite being only **4% of the population**
- **Black people are stopped under Section 60 at 18 times the rate of white people**

### Geographic Variation

The disparity varies by police force area:

| Police Force | Black Stop Rate (per 1,000) | White Stop Rate (per 1,000) | Disparity Ratio |
|--------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------|
| Metropolitan Police (London) | 81 | 8 | 10.1x |
| West Midlands | 64 | 7 | 9.1x |
| Greater Manchester | 42 | 6 | 7.0x |
| Thames Valley | 28 | 4 | 7.0x |

In London, young Black men (aged 15-24) are stopped an average of **3 times per year**, according to StopWatch analysis.

## Why Does the Disparity Exist?

The racial disparity in stop and search is driven by multiple factors:

### 1. Police Deployment Patterns

Police deploy more officers to areas with higher crime rates, which often have higher Black populations. This means Black people are more likely to encounter police and therefore more likely to be stopped.

However, research shows this does not fully explain the disparity. Even controlling for local crime rates, Black people are stopped at much higher rates than white people in the same areas.

### 2. Unconscious Bias

Research shows that police officers, like the general population, hold unconscious biases that associate Black people with criminality. This can lead officers to:

- **Perceive Black people as more suspicious** than white people in the same circumstances
- **Interpret ambiguous behaviour** (e.g., looking nervous, avoiding eye contact) as suspicious when exhibited by Black people but not white people
- **Stop Black people based on stereotypes** rather than objective evidence

Studies using body-worn camera footage have found that officers are more likely to stop Black people for vague reasons like "acting suspiciously" or "known to police," while white people are more likely to be stopped for specific, objective reasons like "seen handling drugs."

### 3. Gang Matrices and Intelligence Databases

Police forces use **gang matrices** and intelligence databases to identify individuals believed to be involved in gangs or serious violence. These databases disproportionately include Black people, particularly young Black men, leading to:

- **Targeted stop and search** of individuals on the database
- **Guilt by association**: People are added to the database based on social media connections, music videos, or being in the same area as known gang members, even if they have not committed any crime
- **Self-fulfilling prophecy**: Being on the database leads to more stops, which leads to more arrests (even for minor offences), which reinforces the perception that the person is a criminal

The **Information Commissioner's Office** has criticised gang matrices for being racially discriminatory and lacking transparency.

### 4. Section 60 Use in Black Communities

Section 60 is disproportionately used in areas with high Black populations, particularly in London. This is partly because these areas have higher rates of serious violence, but also because:

- **Blanket approach**: Section 60 allows police to stop anyone in the area, leading to high volumes of stops with low success rates.
- **Perception of harassment**: Residents in areas with frequent Section 60 use report feeling harassed and targeted, particularly young Black men who are stopped repeatedly despite having done nothing wrong.

### 5. Lack of Accountability

Despite legal requirements, many stop and searches are not properly recorded or justified:

- **Vague reasons**: Officers often record vague reasons for searches like "acting suspiciously" or "known to police," which do not meet the legal standard of reasonable suspicion.
- **No consequences for unlawful searches**: Officers who conduct unlawful searches are rarely disciplined, creating a culture of impunity.
- **Low complaint success rates**: Complaints about stop and search are rarely upheld, even when the search was clearly unlawful.

## The Impact on Communities

The racial disparity in stop and search has serious consequences:

### 1. Mistrust of Police

Repeated stop and search creates deep mistrust of police in Black communities:

- **Young Black men report feeling harassed** and targeted by police, even when they have done nothing wrong.
- **Families teach children to fear police** rather than see them as protectors.
- **Reduced cooperation**: Communities that feel over-policed are less likely to report crimes or cooperate with police investigations, making it harder to solve serious crimes.

### 2. Criminalisation of Young Black Men

Being stopped and searched repeatedly has a criminalising effect:

- **Normalisation**: Young Black men come to see police contact as inevitable, rather than exceptional.
- **Escalation**: Minor interactions (e.g., being stopped for looking suspicious) can escalate to arrests for minor offences like cannabis possession or resisting arrest, giving young people criminal records.
- **Barriers to opportunity**: Criminal records create barriers to education, employment, and housing, pushing young people further into criminality.

### 3. Mental Health Impact

Research shows that being stopped and searched has negative mental health effects:

- **Anxiety and stress**: Young Black men report feeling anxious and stressed about being stopped, particularly in areas with high Section 60 use.
- **Humiliation**: Being searched in public, particularly in front of peers or family, is humiliating and degrading.
- **Trauma**: Aggressive or violent searches can be traumatic, particularly for young people.

## Does Stop and Search Reduce Crime?

The evidence on the effectiveness of stop and search is mixed:

### 1. Some Evidence of Short-Term Impact

Some studies show that targeted, intelligence-led stop and search can reduce weapon carrying and violent crime in the short term, particularly when:

- **Focused on high-risk individuals and locations**: Stopping people who are known to carry weapons or in areas with high levels of violence.
- **Part of a broader strategy**: Combined with other interventions like youth services, community engagement, and violence reduction programmes.

### 2. Blanket Stop and Search Is Ineffective

However, high-volume, indiscriminate stop and search—particularly Section 60—has little impact on crime and may increase it by:

- **Damaging police-community relations**: Creating mistrust and reducing cooperation with police.
- **Diverting resources**: Officers spend time conducting low-value searches instead of investigating serious crimes.
- **Escalating minor incidents**: Stops for minor issues (e.g., cannabis possession) can escalate to arrests and criminal records, pushing young people into criminality.

The **College of Policing** reviewed the evidence and concluded that **targeted, intelligence-led stop and search** is more effective than high-volume, blanket use.

### 3. The 'Success Rate' Metric Is Misleading

The 17% 'success rate' (searches that result in arrest or finding of weapons/drugs) is often cited as evidence that stop and search works. However:

- **83% find nothing**: The vast majority of searches are of innocent people, which is a significant intrusion on civil liberties.
- **Arrests are not convictions**: Many arrests do not lead to charges or convictions, meaning the person was innocent.
- **Minor offences**: Many 'successful' searches find small amounts of cannabis, which is a low-priority offence and does not justify the intrusion.

## What Needs to Change

Campaigners and criminal justice experts have called for:

### 1. Abolish or Severely Restrict Section 60

Section 60 has very low success rates (8%) and is disproportionately used against Black people. Options include:

- **Abolish Section 60 entirely**: Some campaigners argue it is ineffective and discriminatory and should be scrapped.
- **Raise the threshold**: Require stronger evidence of imminent violence before authorising Section 60.
- **Limit duration and area**: Restrict Section 60 to smaller areas and shorter time periods.

### 2. Improve Accountability and Recording

All stop and searches should be properly recorded and justified:

- **Body-worn cameras**: All searches should be recorded on body-worn cameras, with footage reviewed to ensure compliance with legal standards.
- **Better recording**: Officers should record specific, objective reasons for searches, not vague terms like "acting suspiciously."
- **Independent scrutiny**: Community groups should have access to stop and search data and the power to hold police to account.

### 3. Reduce Disproportionality

Police forces should set targets to reduce racial disparity in stop and search:

- **Monitor and publish data**: Forces should publish stop and search data by ethnicity and explain any disparity.
- **Unconscious bias training**: All officers should receive training on unconscious bias and how to avoid discriminatory stops.
- **Community scrutiny panels**: Community members should be involved in reviewing stop and search practices and holding officers to account.

### 4. Focus on Intelligence-Led, Targeted Stops

Stop and search should be targeted at high-risk individuals and locations, based on specific intelligence, rather than used as a blanket tactic.

### 5. Invest in Alternatives

Rather than relying on stop and search, invest in:

- **Youth services**: Providing positive activities and support for young people to reduce involvement in crime.
- **Violence reduction programmes**: Addressing the root causes of violence through education, mentoring, and community engagement.
- **Community policing**: Building trust and cooperation between police and communities.

## The Bottom Line

Black people in England and Wales are 8.4 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people, despite stop and search finding weapons or drugs in only 17% of cases. Section 60 searches, which do not require reasonable suspicion, have increased by 140% since 2018 and have even lower success rates of 8%. Young Black men in London are stopped an average of 3 times per year, creating mistrust and damaging police-community relations. The disparity is driven by police deployment patterns, unconscious bias, gang matrices, and disproportionate use of Section 60 in Black communities. The Macpherson Report warned that disproportionate stop and search undermines public confidence, but the disparity has worsened. Campaigners call for abolishing or restricting Section 60, improving accountability, reducing disproportionality, and investing in alternatives like youth services and violence reduction programmes.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why are Black people stopped and searched so much more than white people?

The disparity is driven by multiple factors: police deployment patterns (more officers in areas with higher Black populations), unconscious bias (officers are more likely to perceive Black people as suspicious), gang matrices and intelligence databases (which disproportionately target Black communities), and the use of Section 60 powers (no suspicion required) in areas with high Black populations. Research shows the disparity cannot be explained by crime rates alone—even controlling for local crime levels, Black people are stopped at much higher rates.

### What is Section 60 and why is it controversial?

Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 allows police to stop and search anyone in a designated area without needing reasonable suspicion, if a senior officer believes serious violence may occur. It is controversial because: it has very low success rates (only 8% result in arrest), it is disproportionately used in areas with high Black populations (Black people account for 50% of Section 60 searches despite being 4% of the population), and it damages police-community relations by creating a sense of harassment and discrimination.

### Does stop and search actually reduce crime?

The evidence is mixed. Some studies show stop and search can reduce weapon carrying in the short term, particularly when targeted at high-risk individuals and locations. However, blanket use of stop and search—especially Section 60—has little impact on crime and may increase it by damaging police-community relations and reducing cooperation with police. The College of Policing recommends targeted, intelligence-led stop and search rather than high-volume, indiscriminate use.

## Sources

- [Home Office — Police Powers and Procedures: Stop and Search](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-stop-and-search-and-arrests-england-and-wales)
- [The Guardian — Stop and Search Data Analysis](https://www.theguardian.com/law/stop-and-search)
- [StopWatch — Stop and Search Monitoring](https://www.stop-watch.org)
- [College of Policing — Stop and Search Guidance](https://www.college.police.uk/guidance/stop-and-search)

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