The number of women subjected to stop and search by police in England and Wales has risen sharply, even as searches of men have declined, according to new Home Office data.
In the year ending March 2024, police carried out 59,549 searches of women a 7% increase compared to the previous year. In contrast, the number of searches conducted on men fell by 4%, with 447,952 recorded incidents.
The charity StopWatch, which campaigns for police reform, reported that over 10,000 of those searched were girls. It criticised the continued use of the tactic, pointing to persistent evidence that stop and search yields very few results and rarely leads to further police action.
The number of arrests following a stop and search rose by 10% for women, while the increase for men was only 2%. Critics argue this is not indicative of the tactic’s success but rather reflects the widening net of police scrutiny, particularly towards women and minority groups.
Jodie Bradshaw of StopWatch said: “We don’t believe stop and search is fit for purpose. There are better ways to tackle crime and help communities feel safe.”
Police continue to defend the tactic as a crucial tool for combating knife crime, particularly in high-risk urban areas. Some research suggests that in areas with high crime rates, stop and search may have a deterrent effect. But civil rights groups warn that this often comes at the expense of trust and fairness, especially among marginalised communities.
Home Office figures also showed a significant rise in police use of force, with 747,396 incidents reported in the year to March 2024 a 13% increase. Women were involved in 18% of these incidents, with Black women accounting for around 9%, despite making up only 4% of the population according to the latest census.
Campaigners argue that police presence and interventions are disproportionately focused in areas with higher populations of Black and minority ethnic residents. Deborah Coles, director of the charity Inquest, said such encounters can be particularly traumatic for women who have previously experienced violence or abuse.
She added that the increase in police interventions must be viewed in the wider context of rising inequality, criminalisation of poverty, and tougher stances on protest and shoplifting.
One woman, Shenna D’archeville, shared her experience of being stopped while driving in north London. A residential care worker, she recounted how police aggressively approached her vehicle in front of her 11-year-old son. Officers claimed there had been reports of car thefts in the area, but D’archeville believes she was racially profiled.
“When they see Black people and Black women in an expensive car, they stop you for no reason,” she said.
A Home Office spokesperson acknowledged that while stop and search is a vital crime-fighting tool, it must be applied fairly and appropriately to maintain public trust. “The statistics referenced reflect the situation under the previous government,” they noted.
Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Mariner, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for stop and search, admitted the tactic can be distressing, particularly for children and vulnerable individuals. He said police are currently working with the College of Policing to review and improve training and guidance to ensure interactions are handled more sensitively.
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