Black people up to 48 times more likely to be stopped and searched in richest areas of London

"Black people are up to 48 times more likely than white people to be stopped and searched by police in some of London's best-off areas, a new report has found. The study found that the reasons given by officers for subjecting black people to the controversial power were more likely to be vague, with examples including that a black person gave a furtive glance."

"The study was commissioned by the London mayor Sadiq Khan's office for policing and crime, and conducted by King's College London. It looked at data from 2023 examining 152,000 stops carried out in London, and the reasonable grounds police said they had to use the power. Across England and Wales black people are four times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people."

"In about 25 of London's 679 council wards the disproportionality was 20 times greater, and in another 60 wards at least 10 times greater. There were 58 searches of black people, compared with 21 of white people, who make up 80% of that area's resident population."

A King's College London study commissioned by London's mayor examined 152,000 police stops in 2023, revealing severe racial disparities in stop and search practices. Black people are up to 48 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people in certain affluent areas like East Sheen, compared to the national average of four times. The research identified pockets of extreme disproportionality across approximately 85 London wards, with officers providing vague justifications for stops of black individuals, such as furtive glances. About two-thirds of all stops result in no action or wrongful suspicion, raising concerns about discriminatory policing practices.

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