Best Use of Stop and Search revisit – Durham Constabulary

Published on: 2 February 2017

Publication types: Legitimacy, Revisit and Stop and search

Police Forces: Durham

Summary

In 2014, the Home Office and College of Policing launched the Best Use of Stop and Search (BUSS) scheme (PDF document). The scheme aims to achieve greater transparency and community involvement in the use of stop and search powers, and to support a more intelligence-led approach, leading to better outcomes.

The scheme sets out guidance on:

  • data recording and publishing;
  • the introduction of lay observation policies to allow members of the public to accompany officers on patrol when they might observe stop and search powers being used;
  • the introduction of a community complaints trigger, a complaint policy which triggers explanation to local communities when large numbers of stop and search-related complaints are received;
  • reducing the use of stop and search powers under section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; and
  • monitoring the impact of stop and search on young people and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

2015

In 2015, HMIC assessed the compliance with each feature of the scheme in each of the 43 Home Office-funded forces in England and Wales, as part of our 2015 PEEL Legitimacy inspection. That inspection identified that:

  • only 11 forces were complying with all five features of the scheme;
  • 19 forces were not complying with one or two features of the scheme; and
  • 13 forces were not complying with three or more features.

2016 inspection

Durham Constabulary was one of the 19 forces not complying with one or two features of the scheme. The letter below sets out the findings of a revisit inspection to assess Durham’s compliance with the scheme.

Get the letter

Best Use of Stop and Search revisit – Durham Constabulary

Get the national overview

Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme – revisit of 19 forces

Get the press release

Most forces have achieved compliance with the Stop and Search scheme

Get the free PDF Reader from Adobe (external link)