Stop and Search

Stop and Search is a valuable tool in the prevention and detection of crime and is part of Gwent Police's everyday activity. Every month we stop and search around 800 people, searching for drugs, weapons, items that may be used to commit a crime, or other articles relating to criminal offences.

Gwent Police has recently undertaken significant consultation in relation to our approach to stop and search to help improve our work in this area, and the information published on this page reflects that which communities have told us they would like to see, including links to our complaints procedures.

The consultation also told us that there were five key areas that communities would like us to consider:

Ensuring that stops are based on intelligence rather than stereotypes or perceptions about a particular community was something that people felt strongly about. People felt that it was important stop and search activity took place in areas where it is most appropriate (for example areas where there is a lot of crime).
Providing a clear explanation of why a person has been stopped and searched was considered vital as well as the grounds that enable the officer to lawfully search them. The use of jargon and abbreviations should be avoided as this can make it difficult for people to understand what is happening.
The attitude of the officer was felt to have a big impact on experience, it was important to people that the officer is respectful, polite, limits any embarrassment that may be caused and maintains the person's dignity.
Consideration of a person's background or culture was also felt to be important. Factors like not making eye contact, or appearing to be drunk or confused may not always mean that something is suspicious. There may be other issues like cultural background, mental ill health, medical conditions or disability that need to be considered. Cultural or religious factors should also be considered when conducting any searches that may be sensitive (for example the removal of religious headwear).
Remembering the impact and inconvenience that a stop and search can have on someone, and minimising this, particularly if nothing is found, was also considered essential.

Key Facts:

During April-September (2011) 5554 stop and searches were recorded in Gwent
Of these stop and searches, 91.5% of people searched were recorded as being white
The highest proportion of non-white people that were stopped and searched were Asian Pakistani people, who made up 1.7% of the total stop and search numbers
People aged between 18 and 25 were most likely to be stopped
Per 1,000 of the population, Black persons were Stopped and Searched 7.0 times more than White people in 2009/10 across England and Wales (Ministry of Justice Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2010)

We have published full Stop and Search data for 2009/10 and 2010/11

Useful Links:

Your Rights, the Law and How to Make a Complaint

Gwent Police Complaints Procedure

Ministry of Justice Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2010 (Chapter 3)