West Mercia Police committed to stop and search after figures reveal skin colour disparity

But West Mercia Police is sticking with stop and search which the organisation says remains an important tool in its battle to remove weapons and drugs from the streets.

The figures come as human rights organisation Liberty calls on the Government to tackle the "appalling injustice" of increased stop and search rates for people of colour.

Stop and search, in which police temporarily stop individuals they suspect may be carrying weapons, drugs or other contraband has always been mired in controversy.

While there are rules that govern how searches are carried out, several organisations have said they want the practice banned or heavily rolled back, in part because it is used far more often on people of colour, particularly black and black British communities.

The latest Home Office figures shows that of 4,334 searches carried out by West Mercia Police in the year to March, 224 were of black people – equivalent to 44.3 for every 1,000 black people in the area, according to the latest population data.

By comparison, there were 3,476 searches of white people – or 3 for every 1,000 people.

This means that black people were 15 times as likely to be stopped and searched.

Emmanuelle Andrews, policy and campaigns manager at Liberty, a human rights charity, said: “Stop and search is a traumatic and distressing experience, leaving a lasting impact on both individuals and communities.

"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," she added.

Black people were more likely to be arrested after a stop and search in West Mercia, with 31.3 per cent of searches leading to an arrest, compared to 17.8 per cent for white people. However, the disparity in stop and searches has improved in West Mercia since last year, with black people 15.7 times as likely to be stopped as white people in 2020-21.

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.

Liberty said they were particularly concerned by the Government's proposed Public Order Bill, which is set to expand police stop and search powers.

The National Police Chiefs' Council, a representative body for British police offers, called the practice a "valuable policing tool", but said there was more work to do to address concerns around ethnic disparities.

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."

"We encourage anyone who feels unhappy at how a search was conducted to contact their local force."

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.

The overall number of searches also fell 28 per cent in West Mercia, down from 6,042 last year.

The Home Office said it is committed to improving safeguards on stop and search, such as creating channels for it to be scrutinised by local communities, and increasing the use of body worn cameras.

West Mercia Police's local policing Chief Superintendent Paul Moxley said it is important the black community are and feel involved in policing, feel respected and represented and equally protected

He said: “Officers must carry out all stop searches lawfully, courteously and with respect.

"It remains a really important tool to help us remove weapons and drugs from our streets and of course, officers will always be required to record what they have done and why they have done it to transparently justify their actions.

“Like every force in the country, we recognise that there is more to be done in tackling disproportionality. Nationally, there is work being done to understand the causes and impact of disproportionately and it is important that we look at how we use stop and search powers.

“Locally, we have robust independent scrutiny of stop and search and use of force, and utilise Body Worn Video during any stop and search to ensure there is a visual record that can be scrutinised in detail by independent members of our communities. We always look to improve training for officers based on the feedback and lived experiences of those who have been stop and searched.

“We also review all complaints, which are relatively small in numbers, and where appropriate we take action to share any learning.

“The broader societal issues of disproportionality are complex and cannot be solved solely within the context of policing alone, either nationally or locally. We are of course committed to ensuring we are part of the debate, implement recommendations and play our part in making change and improvements.

“We will continue to work with partners and local communities to ensure that both stop and search and use of force continues to be ethical, proportionate and effective.

"It is important the black community are and feel involved in policing, feel respected and represented and equally protected by West Mercia Police.”