Black, Asian and ethnic minority people 3.4 times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police than white people in the region, Suffolk Police have found
A report on the use of coercive powers by Suffolk Constabulary has found that the level at which black people are disproportionately stopped and searched has increased since 2020, while black, Asian and ethnic minority people are 3.4 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people in the region.
Between 2018 and 2020, the level to which black people were disproportionately subject to this form of coercive power decreased, but since 2020 this disproportionality has increased.
Where a disproportionality level of one means equal likelihood of being stopped and searched and figures above one mean greater likelihood, between 2020 and 2021 the disproportionality figure for black people was 7.9; between 2021 and 2022, this figure was 8.9.
The disproportionality figure remained at 1.1 for Suffolk’s Asian population between 2020 and 2022. For those of mixed ethnicity, the disproportionality figure decreased from 2.6 for the period 2020 to 2021 to 1.9 for the period 2021 to 2022.
A Suffolk Constabulary spokesperson said: “Stop and search is a valuable policing power that we believe has an important role to play in detecting crime and making all our communities in Suffolk safer places to live.
"It allows us to arrest offenders and remove weapons and drugs from the streets, as well as recovering stolen property, but it is also a power that has to be used responsibly and proportionately, with accountability for how and when we use it.
“Every single stop and search needs to be justified, and based on objective grounds with recent intelligence and behaviour.
"No-one should ever be subjected to a stop and search because of their ethnicity, gender or age.
"We should always explain why someone has been stopped, as well as their rights.
"We train our officers to approach every situation with an open mind about the circumstances, and to treat the person with dignity and respect.
"This requires training, professionalism and good judgement – and we do not always get this right.
"A willingness to acknowledge where we need to improve, is vital to maintaining trust and confidence.
"We acknowledge that in Suffolk there is a disparity in stop and searches between people from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background in comparison to those who are white.
"We take this matter very seriously and value our work with the Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE), the Stop and Search Improvement Partnership, and the Stop and Search Reference Group to understand why this is, and to ensure the Constabulary’s use of stop and search is as fair and effective as it can be.
"This close partnership allows us to constantly update and improve our stop and search policy whilst aiming to reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder.”
The report was discussed during a meeting of the accountability and performance panel on July 8, in which Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore held the Suffolk Constabulary to account by questioning key members.
At the meeting, Mr Passmore pointed to the fact that the gap is narrowing between white and ethnic minority groups when it comes to ‘positive outcomes’ of stop and search tactics – meaning action is taken against those who are stopped and searched because they are found to be in possession of something dangerous.
Between 2021 and 2022, the proportion of positive outcomes was just under 35% for black people and almost 36% for white people.
Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Kearton said: “The vast majority of our stop and searches are intelligence-led.
“This intelligence can come from a number of different sources, and we are looking to improve by ensuring intelligence is accurate and well-informed.”
The ward in which black people were stopped and searched most disproportionately between 2021 and 2022 was Babergh, although the report points out that the total number of times this tactic was used here was relatively low, at 279 instances.
Stop and search was used the highest number of times in Ipswich, with 1,860 occurring here.
In Ipswich, the average disproportionality level across the four quarters between 2021 and 2022 for black stop and search subjects was around 6.7.
The average disproportionality level for the Asian population in Ipswich was around 0.5, and the average level for those with mixed ethnicity was 1.1.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, Suffolk Constabulary carried out 349 strip searches, none of which were on conducted on subjects under the age of 14.
Black and ethnic minority Suffolk residents underwent around 24% of these strip searches and white residents were subject of around 72%.
According to the 2011 census, the ethnic minority population in Suffolk accounts for just under 9% of the overall population.
The Office for National Statistics plans to release data around ethnic groups from the 2021 census between October and December 2022.
