Stop and search in Merton
In the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, police recorded 1,410 stop and searches in Merton, down 16% on the previous 12 months. Relative to the local population, Black people were stopped and searched at 6.0 times the rate of White people, and Asian people at 1.2 times. The most common reason for a search was drugs (55% of searches). 65% of searches ended with no further action, and 19% 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 | 576 | 22,886 | 25.2 |
| Asian | 201 | 40,015 | 5.0 |
| White | 546 | 129,485 | 4.2 |
| Other | 35 | 9,895 | 3.5 |
What people were searched for
| Reason for search | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 782 | 55% |
| Stolen Property | 331 | 23% |
| Weapons | 213 | 15% |
| Other | 78 | 6% |
| Criminal Damage Items | 5 | <1% |
| Theft-Related Items | 1 | <1% |
What happened after the search
| Outcome | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | 923 | 65% |
| Arrest | 264 | 19% |
| Community resolution | 155 | 11% |
| Penalty Notice for Disorder | 32 | 2% |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 18 | 1% |
| Summons / charged by post | 18 | 1% |
Neighbouring areas
Croydon · Kingston upon Thames · Lambeth · Sutton · Wandsworth
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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.