The latest Home Office figures show that 26,372 searches were carried out by West Midlands Police in the year to March 2022, up from 25,895 times in the year to March 2021.
By comparison, there were 9,713 searches of white people – or 5.1 for every 1,000 people, meaning black people were 4.8 times as likely to be stopped and searched. Stop and search is a controversial practice, in which police temporarily stop individuals they suspect may be carrying weapons, drugs or other contraband.
"Not only this, but stop and search is an ineffective policing tool – with these figures showing that the vast majority of stops result in no further action." Black people were also more likely to be arrested after a stop and search in Staffordshire, with 23.2 per cent of searches leading to an arrest, compared to 15.3 per cent for white people in 2021/22.Across England and Wales, this disparity has improved slightly, with black people now 6.2 times as likely to be stopped as white people, down from seven last year.
Amanda Pearson, the organisation's lead for stop and search, said:"We know that the use of stop and search can have a significant impact on individuals and communities, and particularly on young people."Nationally the number of stop and searches declined 26 per cent last year, from 714,914 in the year to March 2021 to 530,365 this year – with the Home Office saying a high level of"proactive policing" during the pandemic was the lead reason for the decline.
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