• The Equality Duty
• Equality Information
• Easy to Read Information
• Disability Symbol User
• Welsh Language
• Hate Crime
• Human Rights
• Stop and Search
  • What is a stop and account?
  • What is a stop and search?
  • Where can searches be carried out?
  • Why might I be stopped and searched?
  • What isn't a stop and search?
  • Who can 'stop and search' you?
  • How should a stop and search be carried out?
  • What will I be asked to remove?
  • What is recorded and your right to a receipt
  • What can you do if you are unhappy about how you were treated?
• Equality Impact Assessments

Why might I be stopped and searched?

Searches under PACE Code A, Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 can only be carried out if the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that they will find what they are looking for.

Searches under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and Section 74A of the Terrorism Act 2000 do not require the officers to have reasonable suspicion that they will find anything.

The officer must have sufficient grounds for searching you, for example, you must be linked to accuate and current intelligence and information.  Unless you match a description of a suspect, officers must not base their grounds on your appearance, what you are wearing or the fact that you may have committed a crime in the past.  Appearance would include factors such as your age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation.