Stop and Search information pack

Introduction from Chief Constable
Amanda Pearson

Stop and search is a legitimate policing power in our relentless pursuit of criminality, and achieving our vision of continuing to make Dorset a safe county for everyone. Its use must not only be legitimate, fair and effective, but also have community confidence as an activity that keeps them safe and feeling safe.

Our force operates across Dorset serving 1,024 square miles, and covering 88 miles of coastline. We patrol 2,500 miles of road protecting around 750,000 residents and millions of visitors who come to Dorset throughout the year.

The primary purpose of stop and search powers is to enable officers to allay or confirm suspicions about individuals without exercising their power of arrest. This is used both in response to reported incidents, and to proactively focus on areas of concern raised through incidents, crime and community intelligence.

Stop and search is never used lightly, and police officers will only exercise their legal right to stop members of the public and search them when they genuinely suspect that doing so will further their investigations into criminal activity – whether that means looking for weapons, drugs or stolen property.

We use stop and search powers on behalf of our communities, so it is vital that they have confidence in the way it is deployed and that our officers are able to use it effectively, appropriately and with confidence.

As we focus on being tough on crime and keeping people safe, we recognise that stop and search is a valuable policing tool, with daily examples of weapons and drugs being taken off the streets. We will continue to use stop and search where it is appropriate alongside other problem-solving approaches with our partners and communities as we work together to make our streets safe for everyone.