Stop and search

All of our data and statistics are open to the public for transparency and review. You can view each local policing area's quarterly report below. 

Police.uk supply the official stop and search statistical data for the whole of England and Wales. You can view the overall stop and search statistics and charts for West Mercia Police on their website. 

You can also view the detailed locations of individual stop and searches that take place in your area, plus the outcome, reason and type of each stop.

West Mercia Police’s response to the Criminal Justice Alliance super complaint on Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and independent community scrutiny of stop and search.

The original report was published on the 15th of December 2023 and can be read here: Report on the Criminal Justice Alliance’s super-complaint: Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and independent community scrutiny of stop and search (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Forces have been asked to make their responses public in the interests of absolute transparency, with a copy sent to the NPCC.
Section 60 CJA Super complaint recommendations.

Recommendation 2

By 14 June 2024, chief constables should make sure their forces review the content of training on section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and how they provide it. The review should consider current national police curriculum requirements and the adequacy of force training for:
- officers who may be required to authorise section 60s; and
- officers who may be required to conduct section 60 stop and searches.

The review and any associated actions should be proportionate to each force’s use of section 60.

Response: The force recently reviewed how Stop and Search is taught to student officers, and how training is provided to experienced officers. This included the use of simulated scenarios with PPST (public protection safety training) which are made as realistic as possible and in some cases, observed by members of IAGs to offer constructive criticism and scrutiny. The same approach is being adopted for searches made under Section 60 in line with the requirements as set above.

Recommendation 3

By 14 June 2024, chief constables should make sure briefing and debriefing arrangements for their force’s activities under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 are thorough and in line with Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code A and authorised professional practice content and guidance.

Chief constables must make sure section 60 authorisation briefings are recorded. This may be as a written briefing.
But formal verbal section 60 authorisation briefings should be given on audiovisual devices such as body-worn video or approved handheld communication devices.

They should be capable of being recorded as part of the policing operation and be subject to scrutiny.

Section 60 briefings to officers who are required to use their stop and search powers should include information on: the relevant law and guidance; the particular grounds for authorising the use of section 60 stop and search powers; all relevant and current information and intelligence; the geographical area covered and time limitations authorised; all relevant community information (including policing history) and any community impact assessment; how any debriefing and force learning will be conducted; and the importance of recording all section 60 stop and search encounters on body-worn video in their entirety.
Response: It should be noted that the use of Section 60 powers within West Mercia is rare (authorised on four occasions in the last two years), however where possible, pre emptive community engagement takes place and a record of community views and consultation is kept. This has enabled authorising officers to take into account previous community views when making a decision to authorise or not. In line with AAP relating to other police operations, the above is recorded using audio visual means where accessible, and written when not. See overarching response to recommendation 8 in terms of learning and de briefing and the important role IAG’s play in this process.

Recommendation 5

By 14 June 2024, chief constables should make sure forces effectively communicate with communities and interested parties on the police use of section 60 stop and search powers. This should include:
- making sure communications reach the communities most likely to be affected by the section 60 authorisation and checking their communication strategies were effective;
- publicising details to inform the public, give reassurance and maximise any deterrent effect; and
- reporting back to communities and interested parties on operational outcomes.

Response: covered in overarching response to recommendation 8.

Recommendation 7
By 14 June 2024, chief constables should satisfy themselves that their force gives community scrutiny panels (or their equivalents) all relevant information to help them scrutinise police stop and searches and other police actions arising from section 60 authorisations.

This should include:

- the grounds and underlying reasons for the authorisations;
- any recordings of briefings;
- written records of searches;
- information about the outcomes of searches; and
- body-worn video footage of entire encounters. In addition, chief constables should satisfy themselves that their force incorporates feedback from community scrutiny panels (or their equivalents) when evaluating.

Response: covered in overarching response to recommendation 8, however will be adapted to include briefings in the case of Section 60 searches.

Recommendation 8

By 14 June 2024, chief constables and where applicable police and crime commissioners (or equivalents) should make sure their forces work in partnership with community scrutiny panels (or their equivalents) to:

- review panel membership and vetting arrangements to remove any unnecessary barriers to recruiting panel members;
- promote the recruitment of culturally diverse members, with a particular focus on representing, involving and retaining those from under-represented communities and young people;
- promote the representation, involvement and retention of those who have been stopped and searched;
- make sure the force gives community scrutiny panels information on the police use of force, including handcuffing, relevant to the police use of stop and search powers;
- make sure they support and help community scrutiny panels to review section 60 authorisations, searches, community impact assessments and associated complaints;
- give members appropriate training and support to help them effectively carry out their role scrutinising all stop and searches, taking account of the effect the role could have on them; and
- provide the right level of police representation at panel meetings to support  individual officer and organisational learning.

Response: West Mercia Police have well attended and representative scrutiny panels within all of their local policing areas to review BWV of stop search and provide the necessary feedback and perspective as outlines within this recommendation. At the start of every panel a short training presentation takes place in order that the panel have enough information to be able to offer appropriate scrutiny. They are also invited to observe public and personal safety training. (This may be subject to a more thorough vetting check). The recruitment of those that have been subject to stop and search remains a challenge, as it does nationally, however this a specific strand of the DE&I strategy to ensure appropriate and diverse representation. Vetting arrangements have been reduced significantly in order that they do not provide a barrier to recruiting the right people. Contact cards given out following a stop search include a link to a survey and an invitation to join a panel. The structure and alignment with IAG’s has recently been reviewed and altered to ensure they remain engaged and fit for purpose. The panels review a selection of footage from all stop search activity across the force which will include Section 60 searches where applicable. The videos that are reviewed are subject to the choice of the panel. For example, all searches from members of the black community or all searches of children or any combination they choose. Given the use of the power is rare within West Mercia, and subject to a number of additional safeguards above national APP, work will commence to allow oversight of the authorisation process and associated community impact specifically for Section 60 searches, and not just there search itself (although community impact is assessed and documented as part of the operational planning process at GOLD level).
Meetings are generally run by an Inspector or Chief Inspector with a responsibility for stop and search on their area. An auditable process ensures feedback and points to consider are flagged to individual officers or teams where appropriate through their designated inspector responsible for the management of scrutiny panels. A robust and auditable process has recently allowed HMICFRS to scrutinise Stop Search activity as a whole within the force and agree to closure of AFI2, PEEL 21-21 regarding stop and search oversight and governance. We are confident in our processes in alignment with the recommendation above.

(published: 9 February, 2024)