Black people almost four times as likely to be stopped and searched by Bedfordshire Police than white people

Home Office figures show Bedfordshire Police carried out 692 stop and searches on black people in the year to March – equivalent to 17.5 per 1,000 black people in the area.

This is compared to a rate of 4.6 per 1,000 white people in Bedfordshire, meaning black people were 3.8 times more likely to be subject to a stop-and-search.

Superintendent Ian Taylor, Bedfordshire Police’s lead for Stop and Search, said: “Stop and search remains an important police power for protecting the public, tackling crime and keeping our streets safe. However, we recognise that its use can impact public trust, especially within ethnic minority communities, particularly around overuse and lack of explanation around its use.

“We have worked hard with our officers to bring down Bedfordshire’s rate of stop and search data in relation to ethnicity to lower than the national average, but we know that we cannot stop here and must continue to improve our fairness and proportionality.

Black people were also more likely to be arrested following a stop-and-search. Across England and Wales, 15.9 per cent of stop and searches conducted on black people resulted in arrest, compared to 13.9 per cent of those involving white people.

In Bedfordshire, children accounted for 14.9 per cent of all stop and searches.

Superintendent Taylor added: “Our robust internal scrutiny measures ensure thorough oversight of all stop and search encounters, monitoring proportionality and outcomes to ensure these powers are utilised appropriately. This is further supported by our community scrutiny and data panels, which independently review cases and hold the force accountable for its use of stop and search, as well as other police powers including use of force and road traffic stops.

“All officers undergo annual refresher training on stop and search to ensure fair and effective use, and we are always keen to hear about the experiences of people who have been stopped by our officers, to help us make sure these powers are always used responsibly.”