Largest-ever research project on police use of Stop and Search highlights how significant disproportionality in London can be addressed

Major new research on the way police in London use Stop and Search has highlighted significant levels of disproportionality in the way the power is used throughout the capital and presented solutions for how it can be addressed.

 More than 150,000 Stop and Search interactions were analysed by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and King’s College London who worked with community representatives and independent community voices to produce the largest-ever body of research on police use of Stop and Search.  

Using new technology and innovative data science techniques, the research analysed every single stop and search conducted by the Met in 2023. 

Key findings from the research show: 

1. Disproportionality in the rate at which Black Londoners were stopped and searched – and that the grounds used to justify stops and searches of Black Londoners were vaguer than those used for White Londoners – in many cases this included wearing concealing clothing, being in a high crime area [known for robbery and weapons], or being given grounds for Stop and Search that don't make it clear what is being searched for.
2. The grounds given to White Londoners were more likely to include instances where the subject admitted to being in possession of an item, admitted to drug possession or use, or was seen stealing.
3. The quality of grounds recorded for stopping Black Londoners fell during busy periods of the day when more stops were conducted - but that this was not the case for White Londoners. 
4. Increasing the quality of the grounds for Stop and Searches could reduce disproportionality by between 11-19 per cent.
5. The boroughs with the strongest grounds are where Londoners feel most strongly that stop and search is used fairly. Where boroughs had weaker grounds, the perception that stop and search was used fairly was lower.   

Alongside the research on Stop and Search, King’s College London were commissioned to explore the nature and geography of disproportionality.   

In the past, we have relied on a comparison of the number of stops against census data to understand whether or not the powers were used disproportionately. However, this does not reflect the reality that crime and other socio-economic issues that can make a person, community or area more susceptible to crime do not fall evenly across the population. 

King’s developed a model that looked at those wider societal disproportionalities connected to a higher likelihood of being affected by crime – such as deprivation and poorer health – and therefore linked to a higher likelihood of being stopped and searched. Actual Stop and Search data was then compared against this.   

Kings College London assessment of these factors found that:  

1. The overall level of disproportionality in stop and searches of Black Londoners compared to White Londoners was nine per cent higher than the model based on socio-economic factors on the risk of being affected by crime suggested it should be.
2. This equates to more than 4,300 ‘extra’ stops of Black Londoners each year (nearly one every two hours). 
3. The research also identified 24 wards in London where the level of disproportionality was most acute, where a Black Londoner could be up to 48 times more likely to be stopped and searched than a White Londoner.  

The Mayor is clear that intelligence-led and professionally conducted Stop and Search remains a vital operational policing tool that saves lives and has an important role to play in keeping all Londoners safe, ridding our street of weapons and preventing violence. The Met carried out 149,299 searches last year, with 19,054 being for weapons. 3,748 weapons were found, 1,860 of them were recovered from searches for weapons and 1,888 from stop and searches relating to other offences such as drugs and stolen property.  

Since 2016, important improvements in the accountability and conduct of stops and searches have been made, including the rollout of body-worn cameras for police officers, community-led police training and stronger oversight of the use of police powers to name. The proportion of stops and searches resulting in a positive outcome has increased during this period. 

But the way that Stop and Search is currently being used cannot continue. As of February 2026, Black Londoners were 3.4* times more likely than White Londoners to be Stop and Searched and the grounds used to justify stops and searches of Black Londoners are more vague and more subjective than those used for White Londoners.  

The Mayor wants the Met to now act on the report’s findings and go further and faster to improve the quality of stop and searches and improve community confidence throughout London. 

The Met last year fulfilled a key recommendation from Baroness Casey’s Independent Review and delivered a new Stop and Search Charter which was produced with Londoners and designed to make Stop and Search more transparent, accountable, and effective. 

The Mayor’s Action Plan, created in 2020, was produced in consultation with more than 400 individuals and groups that either work with or within Black communities and focused on increasing transparency in police actions, transforming the Met to better reflect the city it serves and strengthening community involvement in reviewing the disproportionate use of police powers and complaints.* 

The Mayor will now also introduce a new annual proportionality assessment on how Stop and Search is being used in London to hold the Met to account and support them to take evidence-based action to improve the quality and effectiveness of Stop and Search in the capital.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Stop and Search is a vital policing tool. Done well, it stops those intent on causing harm and fear in our communities and takes dangerous weapons and drugs off our streets and ultimately saves lives. 

“But when done badly and unfairly, it harms community confidence and trust and damages the partnership and community relationships so important to policing by consent and keeping Londoners safe. 

“This major new research shows significant and unacceptable levels of disproportionality that we must act on. That’s why along with the other steps to support and hold the Met to account, I am introducing a mandatory annual report of how Stop and Search is being used in London. The use of Stop and Search must be more transparent and accountable to deliver a safer and fairer London for all. 

“We have to get the use of this power right in London, as lives and community confidence depend on it.” 

Dr Yijing Li, Senior Lecturer in Urban Informatics at King’s College London, said: “Our modelling revealed clear evidence of unexplained disproportionality in how stop and search powers are used across London. These data-driven insights provide a robust evidence base to support fairer, more effective policing in London, and aim to help rebuild trust between communities and law enforcement.” 

Dr Matt Bland, Chief Operating Officer of the Society of Evidence Based Policing, said: “This is an important example of what can be achieved when policing works closely with academia and communities to examine its own practices using robust data. Stop and search remains an important operational tool, but its legitimacy depends on building evidence about its effectiveness and consequences. Doing that is not easy and sometimes involves answering difficult questions and sharing the results whatever they may be. We will be working with the Metropolitan Police Service and partners to showcase the detail of this work and help spread the lessons across policing. This work is an exemplar of the kind of transparent, data-driven innovation and exactly how law enforcement agencies can continue to improve both effectiveness and public confidence.” 

Paul Mundy-Castle, Chair of MOPAC's External Reference Group, said: "This is groundbreaking research and testimony to the importance of putting the voice of Londoners at the centre of MOPAC’s work. We are extremely proud of the ERG's involvement in bringing this about. We now encourage the Met police and the organisations who support them to act on these important findings which have the potential to considerably reduce inequality and disproportionality in stop and search."