Black people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched by Gloucestershire police than white people.

The disproportionate figures emerged earlier this month after Gloucestershire Constabulary released a report into their stop and search data from 2019.

Among the key findings in the report were:

Over half of all stop searches followed a report of an incident.

Suspicion of the possession of controlled drugs formed the basis of the majority of stop searches. The next most common reasons were in relation to possession of a weapon and stolen property.

28 per cent of stop and searchers resulted in a ‘find’, with 16 per cent resulting in an arrest.

In the Barton and Tredworth area of Gloucester, it was found that black and mixed ethnicity people were two times more likely to be stopped and searched as a white person.

Barton and Tredworth has the highest proportion of BAME residents (41.4 per cent) in the county.

It had the second highest amount of stop and searches conducted (227) in the county, coming behind Gloucester city centre (282).

A higher proportion of people stopped and searched were aged between 19 to 30 years old and were male.

The report also highlights that a person in Gloucestershire is consistently less likely to be subject to stop and search powers than a person in the rest of England and Wales, regardless of ethnicity.

Assistant Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk said: "Stop and search is a vital tool in combating crime - it's used most for drugs offences but it has also been important in the battle against knife crime.

"Our arrest and find rates may look low in terms of percentages but they are in line with other forces and it's important to remember that a stop and search where we don't find something can be as good a result as when we do find something. It means that person may be exonerated without the need for arrest.

"But it's vital people have confidence in us and don't feel unfairly targeted."

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She added: "These reports raise some important questions around disproportionality in the figures and if we are using stop and search as effectively as we can.

"We don't have all the answers yet but I strongly believe we are on the right path. I am determined to improve the tools we have at our disposal to get to the heart of the issue and continue the open conversations we've been having with our ethnically diverse communities that are so important to ensuring fairness and equality.”

The Constabulary report can be found here: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/police-forces/gloucestershire-constabulary/areas/gloucestershire/sd/stats-and-data/stop-and-search-data/

The full HMICFRS report can be found here: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-content/uploads/disproportionate-use-of-police-powers-spotlight-on-stop-search-and-use-of-force.pdf

More information on stop and search powers are available to read on the Constabulary website here: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/st-s/stop-and-search/stop-and-search-process/