Durham Constabulary
About this force
| Chief constable | Mike Barton |
|---|---|
| Area | 861 square miles |
| Recording stop and account? | No |
| Force website | Visit website |
About the PCC in this area
| Police & Crime Commissioner | Ron Hogg (Labour) |
|---|---|
| Email address | enquiries@durham-pcc.gov.uk |
| PCC website | Visit website |
| PCC's crime plan | Read |
How many searches do police do?
April 2015 – March 2016
The police conducted 4,523 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Durham Constabulary.
This was a reduction of 46% from the previous year.
There were 15 stop and searches under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act, a power which doesn’t require individual reasonable suspicion.
April 2014 – March 2015
The police conducted 8,366 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Durham Constabulary.
This was a reduction of 32% from the previous year.
There were 11 stop and searches under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act, a power which doesn’t require individual reasonable suspicion.
This was an increase of 10% from the previous year.
Stop and account
Durham Constabulary do not record stop and accounts.
What are searches targeted at?
| Target | Proportion of searches |
|---|---|
| Drugs | 42% |
| Stolen property | 29% |
| Going equipped | 13% |
| Offensive weapons | 8% |
| Other | 4% |
| Criminal damage | 3% |
| Firearms | 1% |
How effective are police stop and searches?
Despite the 46% reduction of searches in Durham over 2015/16, searches for drugs have increased compared to the previous year 2014/15.
In 2015/16, there were only 15 recorded searches under section 60 in Durham compared to 11 in the previous year. Of these, 14 were of white people and one of which resulted in a search. Additionally, one black person was searched under the power but this did not to an arrest.
April 2015 – March 2016
17% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
April 2014 – March 2015
14% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
18% of stop and searches conducted under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act lead to an arrest.
Who is getting searched?
Durham has one of the lowest racial disproportionality in the country, although this rose slightly in 2015/16. That year, all ethnic minority groups were searched at a lower rate than whites.
PACE disproportionality ratios
| Ethnic groups | Ratio |
|---|---|
| White : Black | 1 : 0.7 |
| White : Asian | 1 : 0.5 |
| White : Mixed | 1 : 0.6 |
| White : Other | 1 : 0.4 |