FOI 423160
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 423160
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 24th July 2025. Please find below the response to your request:
- How many stop and search encounters took place in West Mercia?
- How many police officers were present at every encounter?
- In addition to data for question 2, please provide data sorted by grounds, object and purpose of the search, legal power used, police outcome, action taken/sanction (if applicable), offence (if applicable), as well as the gender, age and ethnicity of the person stop and searched.
Reply
Your request for information has been considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”), and I am not obliged to provide the information requested.
S.12(1) of the Act states that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the “appropriate limit”. For police forces in England and Wales, the "appropriate limit" is £450 or 18 hours of work as set by the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.
The information you have requested for Q2 is not available in a readily retrievable format. In order to ascertain whether the information you have requested is held would take in excess of 18 hours as each record would have to be checked individually.
In accordance with s.17(5) of the Act, this acts as a Refusal Notice.
Option 2: However, In accordance with Section 16 of the Act I have a duty to provide advice and assistance in relation to your request and can provide the information requested for question 1 and most of question 3 as this was retrieved during our initial research. This should not be taken as a precedent that additional information would be supplied outside of the time/fees legislation for any subsequent requests
- How many stop and search encounters took place in West Mercia?
|
Type of Stop Search encounter |
Total |
|
Person only search and Person & vehicle search |
3,547 |
|
Vehicle Only |
147 |
|
Grand Total |
3,694 |
- In addition to data for question 2, please provide data sorted by grounds, object and purpose of the search, legal power used, police outcome, action taken/sanction (if applicable), offence (if applicable), as well as the gender, age and ethnicity of the person stop and searched.
|
Object of Search |
Total |
|
ANYTHING TO THREATEN/HARM ANYONE (IE CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES) |
108 |
|
ARTICLES FOR USE IN CRIMINAL DAMAGE |
73 |
|
CONTROLLED DRUGS |
1,871 |
|
FIREARMS |
84 |
|
FIREWORKS |
8 |
|
GOING EQUIPPED/ARTICLES FOR USE IN THEFT |
431 |
|
NOT LISTED |
35 |
|
OFFENSIVE WEAPON |
590 |
|
POACHING EQUIPMENT |
8 |
|
PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES |
9 |
|
SEIZURE OF ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO |
7 |
|
STOLEN GOODS |
467 |
|
TAX EVASION |
3 |
|
Grand Total |
3,694 |
|
Legal Power Used |
Total |
|
Alcohol Tobacco Police Reform Act 2002 |
1 |
|
CJA 1988 (SEARCHES ON SCHOOL PREMISES) |
43 |
|
CUSTOMS AND EXCISE MANAGEMENT ACT1979 |
2 |
|
FIREARMS ACT 1968 |
70 |
|
MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1971 (SECTION23) |
1,865 |
|
PACE ACT 1984 SECTION 1 (ARTICLES FOR USE IN CRIMINAL DAMAGE) |
69 |
|
PACE ACT 1984 SECTION 1 (FIREWORKS) |
9 |
|
PACE ACT 1984 SECTION 1 (GOING EQUIPPED/ARTICLES FOR USE IN THEFT) |
403 |
|
PACE ACT 1984 SECTION 1 (OFFENSIVE WEAPON/BLADED ARTICLE) |
696 |
|
PACE ACT 1984 SECTION 1 (STOLEN GOODS) |
525 |
|
POACHING PREVENTION ACT 1862 |
7 |
|
PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES ACT (PERSON) |
1 |
|
PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES ACT (VEHICLE) |
1 |
|
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 |
2 |
|
Grand Total |
3,694 |
|
Police Outcome of Stop Search |
Total |
|
ARRESTED - ANY OTHER OFFENCE |
700 |
|
ARRESTED - DRINK DRIVE |
18 |
|
ARRESTED - DRUG DRIVE |
225 |
|
Arrested – Public Order |
7 |
|
ARRESTED ON WARRANT |
13 |
|
CAUTIONED |
13 |
|
DRUGS POSSESSION WARNING |
66 |
|
Guardian intervention |
13 |
|
LOCAL/COMMUNITY RESOLUTION OR CODE G PACE (INTERVIEW) |
222 |
|
NO FURTHER ACTION |
2,166 |
|
PENALTY NOTICE |
23 |
|
Seizure of property e.g. seizure of driving licence |
54 |
|
SUMMONS/CHARGE BY POST |
36 |
|
Verbal warning / words of advice |
69 |
|
Voluntary attendance |
62 |
|
Not recorded |
7 |
|
Grand Total |
3,694 |
|
Gender of subject of Stop Search encounter |
Total |
|
FEMALE |
442 |
|
MALE |
2,451 |
|
OTHER |
24 |
|
Officer perceived - Female |
12 |
|
Officer perceived - Male |
84 |
|
Unknown |
2 |
|
Gender not recorded |
532 |
|
Grand Total |
3,547 |
|
Age of subject of Stop Seach encounter |
Total |
|
10-14 years |
164 |
|
15-17 years |
395 |
|
18-19 years |
284 |
|
20-24 years |
534 |
|
25-29 years |
409 |
|
30-34 years |
355 |
|
35-39 years |
318 |
|
40-44 years |
235 |
|
45-49 years |
188 |
|
50-54 years |
94 |
|
55-59 years |
55 |
|
60 years and over |
38 |
|
Perceived age 11-17 years (officer defined) |
74 |
|
Perceived age 18-34 years (officer defined) |
118 |
|
Perceived age 35-49 years (officer defined) |
44 |
|
Perceived age 50-64 years (officer defined) |
8 |
|
DOB not recorded |
78 |
|
Grand Total |
3,547 |
|
Ethnicity (officer defined) of subject of Stop Search encounter |
Total |
|
ASIAN |
301 |
|
BLACK |
290 |
|
MIXED |
115 |
|
NORTH EUROPEAN - WHITE |
2 |
|
OTHER |
79 |
|
UNKNOWN |
3 |
|
WHITE |
2,754 |
|
Not recorded |
3 |
|
Grand Total |
3,547 |