Stop and search in Exeter
In the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, police recorded 943 stop and searches in Exeter, up 13% on the previous 12 months. Relative to the local population, Black people were stopped and searched at 4.3 times the rate of White people. The most common reason for a search was drugs (55% of searches). 74% of searches ended with no further action, and 20% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 35 | 1,141 | 30.7 |
| White | 846 | 118,033 | 7.2 |
| Other | 11 | 1,859 | – |
| Asian | 24 | 6,394 | – |
What people were searched for
| Reason for search | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 517 | 55% |
| Weapons | 188 | 20% |
| Stolen Property | 126 | 13% |
| Theft-Related Items | 47 | 5% |
| Other | 46 | 5% |
| Criminal Damage Items | 19 | 2% |
What happened after the search
| Outcome | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | 701 | 74% |
| Arrest | 187 | 20% |
| Community resolution | 44 | 5% |
| Summons / charged by post | 8 | 1% |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 2 | <1% |
| Penalty Notice for Disorder | 1 | <1% |
Neighbouring areas
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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.