StopWatch
@stopwatchuk.bsky.social
An independent organisation using research, policy advocacy, litigation, and community engagement to understand the impacts of disproportionate policing and hold forces to account
Contact | info@stop-watch.org
Donate | https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/18388
Contact | info@stop-watch.org
Donate | https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/18388
By self-defined ethnicity, the disparity between Black and white people in stop-searches is roughly the same as the previous year: in 2023/24, Black people in England and Wales were stopped roughly 3.7 times more often. In 2024/25 they were stopped 3.8 times more often
November 6, 2025 at 11:16 AM
By self-defined ethnicity, the disparity between Black and white people in stop-searches is roughly the same as the previous year: in 2023/24, Black people in England and Wales were stopped roughly 3.7 times more often. In 2024/25 they were stopped 3.8 times more often
On outcomes: 15% of stop-searches ended in arrest, a small rise reflecting a long-running inverse relationship between stop-search volumes and arrests from the use of the tactic.
Searches ending in No Further Action fell two percentage points from 69% to 67%
Searches ending in No Further Action fell two percentage points from 69% to 67%
November 6, 2025 at 10:27 AM
On outcomes: 15% of stop-searches ended in arrest, a small rise reflecting a long-running inverse relationship between stop-search volumes and arrests from the use of the tactic.
Searches ending in No Further Action fell two percentage points from 69% to 67%
Searches ending in No Further Action fell two percentage points from 69% to 67%
The increases are as follows -
Section 60 ('violence'): from 5,288 to 5,572 searches (+5.4%)
Section 342E (for Serious Violence Reduction Orders): from 63 to 294 searches (+366.7%)
Section 11 (on protesters): from 3 to 46 searches
Section 60 ('violence'): from 5,288 to 5,572 searches (+5.4%)
Section 342E (for Serious Violence Reduction Orders): from 63 to 294 searches (+366.7%)
Section 11 (on protesters): from 3 to 46 searches
November 6, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The increases are as follows -
Section 60 ('violence'): from 5,288 to 5,572 searches (+5.4%)
Section 342E (for Serious Violence Reduction Orders): from 63 to 294 searches (+366.7%)
Section 11 (on protesters): from 3 to 46 searches
Section 60 ('violence'): from 5,288 to 5,572 searches (+5.4%)
Section 342E (for Serious Violence Reduction Orders): from 63 to 294 searches (+366.7%)
Section 11 (on protesters): from 3 to 46 searches
Lack of trust in officers undermines safer schools model. Trauma response from young people when they see officers. Poor quality of officer-delivered presentations and workshops in schools, including scaremongering tactics.
July 18, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Lack of trust in officers undermines safer schools model. Trauma response from young people when they see officers. Poor quality of officer-delivered presentations and workshops in schools, including scaremongering tactics.
Here's a striking interviewee statement on how officers will seek out to work in Hackney for personal career advancements, proving they can manage perceived-to-be challenging areas.
![Quote from interviewee 'YW1':
'A lot of people make professional choices to come into a borough. They kind of go, ‘Well, look, I could work in Kensington and Chelsea and, you know, find out I might be able to progress from there to another area. But if I work two years in Hackney? I could go for any job […] Let me get a piece of that.’ I hear that from teachers, from police, from all sorts. – YW1'](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wutwwk4lyd36cjtxbhyhoiro/bafkreih7iwdlgnbdvu6yzmdlqqgxcxfhzrcwa2736qtjultok7k5dakrvq@jpeg)
July 18, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Here's a striking interviewee statement on how officers will seek out to work in Hackney for personal career advancements, proving they can manage perceived-to-be challenging areas.
Black children more likely to get a 'Merlin social services referral', higher rates of exclusion following police involvement.
July 18, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Black children more likely to get a 'Merlin social services referral', higher rates of exclusion following police involvement.
"There is no evidence that a regular police presence within schools reduces youth offending or produces positive outcomes for young people."
July 18, 2025 at 11:52 AM
"There is no evidence that a regular police presence within schools reduces youth offending or produces positive outcomes for young people."
Between Avani’s pleas to go home, and the ‘nothing more can be done here’ stare from the station officer, Suki senses the futility of the situation and decides not to take up his offer. This exemplifies how paralysing the process can feel for people who engage with it
March 28, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Between Avani’s pleas to go home, and the ‘nothing more can be done here’ stare from the station officer, Suki senses the futility of the situation and decides not to take up his offer. This exemplifies how paralysing the process can feel for people who engage with it
In summary, following ‘search guidelines based on reasonable suspicion’, officers made a 15-year-old child take her clothes off in front of them because they didn’t believe her claims
Note:
🚩 ‘Reasonable suspicion’ = no evidence beyond speculation + judgments based on prior activity
Note:
🚩 ‘Reasonable suspicion’ = no evidence beyond speculation + judgments based on prior activity
March 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM
In summary, following ‘search guidelines based on reasonable suspicion’, officers made a 15-year-old child take her clothes off in front of them because they didn’t believe her claims
Note:
🚩 ‘Reasonable suspicion’ = no evidence beyond speculation + judgments based on prior activity
Note:
🚩 ‘Reasonable suspicion’ = no evidence beyond speculation + judgments based on prior activity
The station officer also admitted that there wasn’t enough evidence to determine whether the drugs were in Avani’s possession, but insists there was a ‘valid line of enquiry’ since Avani was ‘refusing to cooperate’ with police questioning
March 28, 2025 at 9:17 AM
The station officer also admitted that there wasn’t enough evidence to determine whether the drugs were in Avani’s possession, but insists there was a ‘valid line of enquiry’ since Avani was ‘refusing to cooperate’ with police questioning
He claims his officers followed standard procedure, admitting to Suki that no more drugs were found… but not before they deemed Avani’s behaviour to place her ‘at further risk of harm’ and making a referral to Social Services
March 28, 2025 at 9:16 AM
He claims his officers followed standard procedure, admitting to Suki that no more drugs were found… but not before they deemed Avani’s behaviour to place her ‘at further risk of harm’ and making a referral to Social Services
He proceeds to say: ‘we had reason to suspect she was carrying further drugs’, so his officers brought Avani into custody ‘for the purpose of searching and safeguarding to ensure she wouldn’t take the drugs herself’
March 28, 2025 at 9:15 AM
He proceeds to say: ‘we had reason to suspect she was carrying further drugs’, so his officers brought Avani into custody ‘for the purpose of searching and safeguarding to ensure she wouldn’t take the drugs herself’
Despite her denials, the station officer believes there are reasonable grounds to suspect Avani is in possession of controlled drugs and states his colleagues have been authorised to conduct a strip search. The scene ends with an agitated Avani struggling to process what is about to happen to her
March 28, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Despite her denials, the station officer believes there are reasonable grounds to suspect Avani is in possession of controlled drugs and states his colleagues have been authorised to conduct a strip search. The scene ends with an agitated Avani struggling to process what is about to happen to her
The next time we see Avani, her friends have been released, but she remains detained. The station officer challenges her to explain why drugs were found at her feet at the tube station. Again, Avani protests her innocence, with humour, but this time is visibly anxious
March 28, 2025 at 9:03 AM
The next time we see Avani, her friends have been released, but she remains detained. The station officer challenges her to explain why drugs were found at her feet at the tube station. Again, Avani protests her innocence, with humour, but this time is visibly anxious
Meanwhile, in the classic soap drama convention of a character-unavailable-at-the-point-of-greatest-need, we see both her parents’ mobile phones ringing but neither of them pick up the call
March 28, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Meanwhile, in the classic soap drama convention of a character-unavailable-at-the-point-of-greatest-need, we see both her parents’ mobile phones ringing but neither of them pick up the call
Putting two and two together, Jack then tells the officers who brought the girls in that Avani is friends with a drug dealer, which the officers interpret as a green light to return to the cell to conduct a strip search
March 28, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Putting two and two together, Jack then tells the officers who brought the girls in that Avani is friends with a drug dealer, which the officers interpret as a green light to return to the cell to conduct a strip search
Elsewhere, Avani is being detained by two officers. As her parents are yet to be contacted, an appropriate adult is also present. Avani restates her innocence in response to the station officer remark that she is under suspicion for possession of class A drugs
March 28, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Elsewhere, Avani is being detained by two officers. As her parents are yet to be contacted, an appropriate adult is also present. Avani restates her innocence in response to the station officer remark that she is under suspicion for possession of class A drugs
The same officer then spots the wallet and goes to inspect it. On finding pills, she asks Avani if she dropped it, which Avani denies. Unconvinced, the officers take the girls to Walford police station
March 28, 2025 at 8:42 AM
The same officer then spots the wallet and goes to inspect it. On finding pills, she asks Avani if she dropped it, which Avani denies. Unconvinced, the officers take the girls to Walford police station
The girls turn to see the officers approaching them. One asks why they aren’t in school today. Avani lies, but is caught out, then proceeds to spin another story involving Lily, and asks to be let off
March 28, 2025 at 8:40 AM
The girls turn to see the officers approaching them. One asks why they aren’t in school today. Avani lies, but is caught out, then proceeds to spin another story involving Lily, and asks to be let off
On spotting two police officers coming down the stairs from the other side of the station concourse, the boy then rapidly makes his exit from Avani and the girls, dropping the wallet on the floor in the process
March 28, 2025 at 8:39 AM
On spotting two police officers coming down the stairs from the other side of the station concourse, the boy then rapidly makes his exit from Avani and the girls, dropping the wallet on the floor in the process
Incidentally, this is more than the number of weapons searches resulting in ‘positive outcomes’ (46 from a possible 235) conducted by Met police officers in the entire London borough of Wandsworth in the six months to the end of February public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
March 16, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Incidentally, this is more than the number of weapons searches resulting in ‘positive outcomes’ (46 from a possible 235) conducted by Met police officers in the entire London borough of Wandsworth in the six months to the end of February public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
🎄 December 2024 newsletter: All we want for Xmas is for the police to stop harassing children
stopwatchuk.substack.com/p/december-2...
stopwatchuk.substack.com/p/december-2...
December 24, 2024 at 10:05 AM
🎄 December 2024 newsletter: All we want for Xmas is for the police to stop harassing children
stopwatchuk.substack.com/p/december-2...
stopwatchuk.substack.com/p/december-2...
📰 November 2024 newsletter: Postcode policing and the jackpot for justice
Police forces hit with scandals involving GRT children, admissions of racism and more are rewarded with more powers and funding
open.substack.com/pub/stopwatc...
Police forces hit with scandals involving GRT children, admissions of racism and more are rewarded with more powers and funding
open.substack.com/pub/stopwatc...
November 30, 2024 at 8:02 AM
📰 November 2024 newsletter: Postcode policing and the jackpot for justice
Police forces hit with scandals involving GRT children, admissions of racism and more are rewarded with more powers and funding
open.substack.com/pub/stopwatc...
Police forces hit with scandals involving GRT children, admissions of racism and more are rewarded with more powers and funding
open.substack.com/pub/stopwatc...
From freedom of information requests, we were also able to show that forces used other preventative powers (such as dispersal orders) more often
November 25, 2024 at 12:30 PM
From freedom of information requests, we were also able to show that forces used other preventative powers (such as dispersal orders) more often
... between 2017/18 and 2023/24, forces made only 11 searches under the power in the vicinity of football grounds across England and Wales. Reported incidents at matches of the use of s60 are so rare that they will no longer be collected in football-related policing stats
November 25, 2024 at 12:30 PM
... between 2017/18 and 2023/24, forces made only 11 searches under the power in the vicinity of football grounds across England and Wales. Reported incidents at matches of the use of s60 are so rare that they will no longer be collected in football-related policing stats