Northumbria Police
About this focus area
StopWatch is working with local youth groups and charities in Wellingborough as part of an advocacy programme designed to empower young people to address their concerns on policing. Northumbria had the second highest number of searches, or the highest outside of London, in 2013/14 as outlined below.
About this force
| Area | 2,000 square miles |
|---|---|
| Recording stop and account? | No |
| Force website | Visit website |
About the PCC in this area
| Police & Crime Commissioner | Vera Baird (Labour) |
|---|---|
| Email address | enquiries@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk |
| PCC website | Visit website |
How many searches do police do?
April 2017 – March 2018
The police conducted 2,893 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Northumbria Police.
This was a reduction of 22% from the previous year.
There were 0 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 3,718 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Northumbria Police.
This was a reduction of 48% from the previous year.
There were 0 stop and searches under Section 60 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act, a power which doesn’t require individual reasonable suspicion.
Stop and account
Northumbria Police do not record stop and accounts.
What are searches targeted at?
| Target | Proportion of searches |
|---|---|
| Drugs | 47% |
| Offensive weapons | 20% |
| Stolen property | 20% |
| Going equipped | 10% |
| Other | 1% |
| Firearms | 1% |
| Criminal damage | 0% |
How effective are police stop and searches?
April 2017 – March 2018
18% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
April 2016 – March 2017
11% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
Who is getting searched?
In 2017/18, black people were searched at five times the rate of white people across Northumbria (a slight increase on the previous year). Asians were searched at double the rate of whites and people from mixed backgrounds were searched at approximately the same rate as whites. Only people from 'Chinese or other' backgrounds are searched at lower rates.
PACE disproportionality ratios
| Ethnic groups | Ratio |
|---|---|
| White : Black | 1 : 5.0 |
| White : Asian | 1 : 2.2 |
| White : Mixed | 1 : 1.2 |
| White : Other | 1 : 0.2 |