Who is being stopped and searched — and why
Every stop and search recorded in England and Wales, broken down by ethnicity, outcome and what police said they were looking for. Select a police force and date to explore.
Black people are stopped at 3.8× the rate of white people — and most searches find nothing
In the year ending March 2025, Home Office data shows Black people were stopped and searched at 3.8 times the rate of white people in England and Wales. Asian people were stopped at around 1.4× the rate. These disparities persist even after controlling for local population demographics.
Only around 17% of all stop and searches result in any outcome — an arrest, summons, caution or penalty notice. That means 8 in 10 people searched have done nothing wrong. The power is meant to be used on reasonable suspicion, but critics say it is applied disproportionately on the basis of race.