Durham Constabulary
About this force
| 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 |
How many searches do police do?
April 2017 – March 2018
The police conducted 1,503 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Durham Constabulary.
This was a reduction of 15% from the previous year.
There were 4 stop and searches under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act, a power which doesn’t require individual reasonable suspicion.
April 2016 – March 2017
The police conducted 1,776 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Durham Constabulary.
This was a reduction of 61% from the previous year.
There were 2 stop and searches under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act, a power which doesn’t require individual reasonable suspicion.
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.
Stop and account
Durham Constabulary do not record stop and accounts.
What are searches targeted at?
| Target | Proportion of searches |
|---|---|
| Drugs | 45% |
| Stolen property | 26% |
| Offensive weapons | 15% |
| Going equipped | 14% |
| Other | 0% |
| Firearms | 0% |
| Criminal damage | 0% |
How effective are police stop and searches?
In 2017/18, there were only four searches conducted under section 60, a power that does not require any suspicion to believe that a person is engaged in criminality or violence in order to search them. However, this represents a 100% rise on the previous financial year.
April 2017 – March 2018
19% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
0% of stop and searches conducted under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act lead to an arrest.
April 2016 – March 2017
7% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
8% of stop and searches conducted under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act lead to an arrest.
April 2015 – March 2016
17% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
Who is getting searched?
In the financial year 2017/18, people from black and asian backgrounds were searched at almost double the rate of whites in the Durham constabulary. This is despite further falls in the number of stop and searches overall. Those from mixed backgrounds were searched at slightly lower rates than whites, much less so those from Chinese or other backgrounds.
PACE disproportionality ratios
| Ethnic groups | Ratio |
|---|---|
| White : Black | 1 : 1.6 |
| White : Asian | 1 : 1.7 |
| White : Mixed | 1 : 0.8 |
| White : Other | 1 : 0.3 |