Stop and search in Sunderland
In the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, police recorded 926 stop and searches in Sunderland, down 50% on the previous 12 months. Relative to the local population, Asian people were stopped and searched at 3.0 times the rate of White people. The most common reason for a search was drugs (54% of searches). 72% of searches ended with no further action, and 17% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 64 | 8,216 | 7.8 |
| Black | 16 | 2,669 | – |
| Other | 8 | 1,407 | – |
| White | 683 | 259,367 | 2.6 |
| Mixed | 3 | 2,507 | – |
What people were searched for
| Reason for search | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 499 | 54% |
| Weapons | 186 | 20% |
| Stolen Property | 127 | 14% |
| Other | 62 | 7% |
| Criminal Damage Items | 42 | 5% |
| Theft-Related Items | 10 | 1% |
What happened after the search
| Outcome | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | 664 | 72% |
| Arrest | 154 | 17% |
| Summons / charged by post | 52 | 6% |
| Community resolution | 50 | 5% |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 4 | <1% |
| Khat or Cannabis warning | 2 | <1% |
Neighbouring areas
County Durham · South Tyneside · 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.