Question
Chief Constable’s Accountability Report – he noted the point that 23% of stops resulted in some form of outcome and asked what is that definition and how do they compare with UK. Chief Constable advised he would write back on the detail.
Answer
The PACE (NI) Order 1989 Code of Practice A states at 1.4 that “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.”
The latest published stop and search statistical report, covering the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, reports that 23% of all stop and searches/questions resulted in some form of outcome. Table 11 on page 7 of this report breaks this down by disposal type (see below table for ease of reference).
The latest data available for England and Wales is for the period 2024/25 (i.e. 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025). Figure 8 under ‘Section 8 - Comparison with England and Wales 2024/25 (by financial year)’ on page 12 of the same report shows how the
PSNI’s outcomes following a stop and search compare with England and Wales. In the interest of comparability, the NI figure in Figure 8 excludes stops under the Justice & Security (NI) Act 2007 Sections 21 and 24, as those powers are not available in England and Wales. Note - During 2024/25 and with Justice & Security (NI) Act powers excluded from the data, 28% of stops in Northern Ireland resulted in an outcome (see below table for ease of reference).
Keith Buchanan MLA - DUP