Staffordshire Police
About this force
| Chief constable | Jane Sawyers |
|---|---|
| Area | 2,713 square miles |
| Recording stop and account? | No |
About the PCC in this area
| Police & Crime Commissioner | Matthew Ellis (Conservative) |
|---|---|
| Email address | pcc@staffordshire.pcc.pnn.gov.uk |
| PCC website | Visit website |
How many searches do police do?
April 2015 – March 2016
The police conducted 4,213 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Staffordshire Police.
This was a reduction of 32% 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 2014 – March 2015
The police conducted 6,189 stop and searches under PACE Section 1 across the area covered by Staffordshire Police.
This was a reduction of 59% 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
Staffordshire Police do not record stop and accounts.
What are searches targeted at?
| Target | Proportion of searches |
|---|---|
| Drugs | 61% |
| Stolen property | 17% |
| Going equipped | 11% |
| Offensive weapons | 8% |
| Other | 2% |
| Criminal damage | 1% |
| Firearms | 1% |
How effective are police stop and searches?
Most searches in Staffordshire are for drugs rather than serious or violent crime. In 2015/16, 61% of all searches were for drugs and this figure is one of the highest compared to other police forces in the country.
April 2015 – March 2016
14% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
April 2014 – March 2015
11% of stop and searches conducted under PACE Section 1 lead to an arrest.
Who is getting searched?
Disproportionality has risen substantially in Staffordshire. In 2015/16, black people were searched at approximately 6 times the rate of white people compared to 3 times in 2014/15. Searches of Asians have also increased from just over one and a half times the rate of whites in 2014/15 to almost two and a half times in 2015/16. Mixed people were searched at almost 3 times the rate of white people and only people from Chinese or other ethnic backgrounds were searched at lower rates than whites. This means that despite the overall reduction in searches in Staffordshire and across the country, the government-led reforms have had a less positive impact upon minorities than white people in this police force area.
PACE disproportionality ratios
| Ethnic groups | Ratio |
|---|---|
| White : Black | 1 : 5.5 |
| White : Asian | 1 : 2.4 |
| White : Mixed | 1 : 2.8 |
| White : Other | 1 : 0.6 |