Stop and search in Somerset
In the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, police recorded 1,276 stop and searches in Somerset, down 12% on the previous 12 months. The most common reason for a search was drugs (45% of searches). 67% of searches ended with no further action, and 25% 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 | 21 | 2,429 | – |
| Mixed | 33 | 7,158 | 4.6 |
| White | 1,069 | 550,855 | 1.9 |
| Asian | 15 | 8,693 | – |
| Other | 1 | 2,472 | – |
What people were searched for
| Reason for search | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 575 | 45% |
| Weapons | 297 | 23% |
| Stolen Property | 168 | 13% |
| Theft-Related Items | 121 | 9% |
| Other | 67 | 5% |
| Criminal Damage Items | 48 | 4% |
What happened after the search
| Outcome | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | 860 | 67% |
| Arrest | 314 | 25% |
| Khat or Cannabis warning | 59 | 5% |
| Community resolution | 20 | 2% |
| Summons / charged by post | 14 | 1% |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 9 | 1% |
Neighbouring areas
Bath and North East Somerset · North Somerset · Wiltshire · Dorset · East Devon · Mid Devon · North Devon
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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.