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
| Chief constable | Steve Asham |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| PCC's crime plan | Read |
How many searches do police do?
April 2015 – March 2016
The police conducted 7,096 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Northumbria Police.
This was a reduction of 59% from the previous year.
There were 1 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 17,303 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Northumbria Police.
This was a reduction of 54% 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.
This was a reduction of 100% from the previous year.
Stop and account
Northumbria Police do not record stop and accounts.
What are searches targeted at?
| Target | Proportion of searches |
|---|---|
| Drugs | 45% |
| Stolen property | 25% |
| Going equipped | 12% |
| Offensive weapons | 11% |
| Other | 3% |
| Criminal damage | 2% |
| Firearms | 1% |
How effective are police stop and searches?
April 2015 – March 2016
21% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
April 2014 – March 2015
20% 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.
Who is getting searched?
Disproportionality rose across Northumbria in 2015/16, with a particularly sharp increase in figures for Black people. Black people were searched over three times the rate of whites in 2015/16 compared to under twice the rate of whites in 2014/15. Asians were searched at slightly higher rates than whites (also an increase on the previous year) whereas those from mixed, Chinese or other backgrounds were searched at lower rates.
PACE disproportionality ratios
| Ethnic groups | Ratio |
|---|---|
| White : Black | 1 : 3.2 |
| White : Asian | 1 : 1.3 |
| White : Mixed | 1 : 0.8 |
| White : Other | 1 : 0.2 |