Stop and search in County Durham
In the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, police recorded 2,299 stop and searches in County Durham, up 9% on the previous 12 months. The most common reason for a search was drugs (54% of searches). 74% of searches ended with no further action, and 16% in an arrest.
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Stop rates by ethnicity
Stop and searches over the 12 months, per 1,000 people in each group (population from Census 2021). Rates based on fewer than 30 searches aren't shown.
| Ethnicity (officer-defined) | Searches | Population | Per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 27 | 2,080 | – |
| Black | 21 | 1,729 | – |
| White | 2,135 | 505,464 | 4.2 |
| Asian | 24 | 7,831 | – |
What people were searched for
| Reason for search | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 1,236 | 54% |
| Weapons | 411 | 18% |
| Theft-Related Items | 313 | 14% |
| Stolen Property | 207 | 9% |
| Criminal Damage Items | 81 | 4% |
| Other | 51 | 2% |
What happened after the search
| Outcome | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | 1,696 | 74% |
| Arrest | 370 | 16% |
| Community resolution | 176 | 8% |
| Summons / charged by post | 31 | 1% |
| Khat or Cannabis warning | 19 | 1% |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 6 | <1% |
| Penalty Notice for Disorder | 1 | <1% |
Neighbouring areas
Hartlepool · Stockton-on-Tees · Darlington · Northumberland · Westmorland and Furness · North Yorkshire · Sunderland · Gateshead
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Stop and search records from police.uk; population from ONS Census 2021. Updated monthly. How these figures are calculated. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.