What is a stop and search?

This is when a police officer stops you and searches you, your clothes and anything you are carrying.

Only a police officer (not a police community support officer) can search you.

You can only be stopped and searched if a police officer has good reason to suspect you are carrying:

• drugs, weapons or stolen property
• items which could be used:
  -  to commit a crime
  - to commit an act of terrorism
  - to cause criminal damage.

This good reason should be based on facts, information or intelligence or could be because of the way you are behaving.

There are times however when police officers can search anyone within a certain area, for example:

• when there is evidence that serious violence could take place there
• where a terrorist threat has been identified.

But the officer should explain this to you and must be searching for items which could be used in connection with violence or terrorism.

 

Where can I be stopped and searched?

• in a public place
• anywhere if the police believe you have committed a crime.

If you are in a public place, you only have to take off your coat or jacket and your gloves, unless you have been stopped in relation to terrorism or where the officer believes you are using clothes to hide your identity.

If the police officer asks you to take off more than this or anything you wear for religious reasons, such as a face scarf, veil or turban, they must take you somewhere out of public view. This does not mean you are being arrested. In this case, the police officer who searches you must be the same sex as you.

 

What if I am in a vehicle?

Your vehicle can be stopped at any time and you may be asked to show your driving documents, such as your licence.

The police can search your vehicle if they have good reason to think it contains:

• stolen goods
• drugs
• weapons.

They can search your vehicle at anytime, even if you are not there but must leave a notice saying what they have done.

If the search causes damage to your car, you can ask for compensation but only if the police didn't find anything to connect you to a crime.

 

What happens if I am stopped and searched?

Before you are searched, the police officer should tell you:

• that you must wait to be searched
• what law they are using and your rights
• their name
• the station they work at
• why they chose you
• what they are looking for
• that you have a right to be given a form straightaway showing details of the stop and search.