Under 18 strip searches 757/2024

FOI Reference: 757/2024

Request:

Please can you provide the following information, broken down by financial year for 2023-24, 2022-23, and 2021-22:

1. The number of strip searches carried out by police.
2. Of these, how many were carried out on someone 10-17 years old
3. Of these, how many were carried out on someone under-10 years old?
4. The number of police complaints received about a police strip search.

Response:

I can confirm that the requested information is held by Dyfed-Powys Police, as outlined below.

Please note: Due to a change in Police recording systems during this period, please note the below:

• Data recorded on the old system between (01/04/2023-12/05/2023) records whether a search involved outer clothing being removed, more than outer clothing being removed and intimate body parts were exposed.
• Current system only records whether there was a `partial’ strip search or `full strip search’.

For this FOI request, the data providing the volumes of strip searches for the periods recorded on the old system, will only include searches where intimate parts were exposed. The data providing volumes of strip searches for the periods on the new system, will refer to the number of full’ strip searches, however, it cannot be determined whether the intimate parts were exposed during these searches.

Response Q1:

2023-24: 42

2022-23: 47

2021-22: 40

Response Q2:

2023-24: 2

2022-23: 2

2021-22: 0

Response Q3:

2023-24: 0

2022-23: 0

2021-22: 1

Response Q4:

2023/24 - 17

2022/23 - 20   

2021/22 - 13

Please note the above response for Q4, are the number of complaint allegations received in relation to stop/searches. There is not a separate category for strip searches.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 15/08/2024)