Strip searches 742/2024

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FOI Reference: 742/2024

Request:

Please provide information for each of the following periods … 1^st April 2023 to 31^st March 2024. For the sake of clarity, the below questions refer to pre-arrest searches, hence the references to PACE Code A, wherever the location of the search (on the street, in a police van, in the police station). In your police force area:

What was the total number of stop and searches for all reasons, where a more thorough search occurred (sometimes referred to as a ‘partial strip search’) (PACE code A 2023, para. 3.6)? PACE Code A defines a ‘more thorough search’ at para. 3.6: “a more thorough search (e.g. by requiring a person to take off a T-shirt) [...] Any search involving the removal of more than an outer coat, jacket, gloves, headgear or footwear, or any other item concealing identity”. Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 1 table, which can be found in the Appendix.
What was the total number of stop and searches for all reasons, where a more thorough search occurred (PACE code A 3.6) and it was a positive search? Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 2 table below, which can be found in the Appendix.
What was the total number of stop and searches for all reasons, where a search involved exposure of intimate parts of the body (sometimes referred to as a ‘full strip search’) (PACE Code A 2023 3.7)? Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 3 table below, which can be found in the Appendix.
What was the total number of stop and searches for all reasons, where a search involved exposure of intimate parts of the body (PACE Code A 3.7) and where it was a positive search? By positive search, we mean either “any outcome other than ‘no further action’” or “item found, either linked or unlinked to search reason”, depending on what definition is used in your database and is capable of being searched. If a different definition is used to the two provided here, please clarify what definition is being used when providing the data. Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 4 table below, which can be found in the Appendix.
What was the total number of stop and searches for drugs (section 1 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and section 23(2) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), where a more thorough search occurred (PACE code A 3.6)? Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 5 table below, which can be found in the Appendix.
What was the total number of stop and searches for drugs (section 1 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and section 23(2) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), where a more thorough search occurred (PACE code A 3.6) and where drugs were found? Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 6 table below, which can be found in the Appendix.
What was the total number of stop and searches for drugs (section 1 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and section 23(2) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), where a search involved exposure of intimate parts of the body (PACE Code A 3.7)? Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 7 table below, which can be found in the Appendix.
What was the total number of stop and searches for drugs (section 1 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and section 23(2) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), where a search involved exposure of intimate parts of the body (PACE Code A 3.7) and where drugs were found? Please provide data sorted by (self-defined) ethnic group, gender, and age. Please provide this information by filling out the Question 8 table below, which can be found in the Appendix.
When providing the data to answer the above questions, please confirm whether the number of more thorough searches involving exposure of intimate parts is included in the total number of more thorough searches. For example, if there were 20 ‘more thorough searches’ in the year X and 8 ‘more thorough searches involving exposure of intimate parts’ in the same year X, please confirm whether those 8 MTSEIP have already been counted in the 20 MTS.

Response:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below. However, it is important to note that, as the request covers data held on a historic computer system and our current system, the recording of strip searches is different between the new and old systems:

- The historic system (01/04/2023-12/05/2023) recorded whether the intimate body parts were exposed during the search as requested, however, it is not in the current system.

- The current system only records whether there was a `partial’ strip search or `full strip search’.

For the purpose of this request:

- the questions requesting the number of `more thorough searches’ during the current system period will refer to the number of both `partial’ and `full’ strip searches.

- the questions requesting the number of searches involving `exposure of intimate parts of the body’ during the current system period will refer to the number of `full’ strip searches as it cannot be determined whether the intimate parts were exposed during these searches. However, the historic system data will only include the stop and searches where intimate parts were exposed.

Additionally, where a positive search has been mentioned, the volumes provided refer to the number of cases where the object searched for was found.

Response 1: