Stop and search in Swale
In the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, police recorded 913 stop and searches in Swale, up 1% on the previous 12 months. Relative to the local population, Black people were stopped and searched at 2.1 times the rate of White people. The most common reason for a search was drugs (52% of searches). 65% of searches ended with no further action, and 15% 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 | 23 | 803 | – |
| Mixed | 35 | 2,729 | 12.8 |
| Black | 38 | 3,496 | 10.9 |
| Asian | 19 | 2,311 | – |
| White | 743 | 142,330 | 5.2 |
What people were searched for
| Reason for search | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 473 | 52% |
| Weapons | 165 | 18% |
| Theft-Related Items | 82 | 9% |
| Other | 76 | 8% |
| Criminal Damage Items | 64 | 7% |
| Stolen Property | 53 | 6% |
What happened after the search
| Outcome | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | 598 | 65% |
| Community resolution | 171 | 19% |
| Arrest | 136 | 15% |
| Summons / charged by post | 5 | 1% |
| Khat or Cannabis warning | 2 | <1% |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 1 | <1% |
Neighbouring areas
Medway · Ashford · Canterbury · Maidstone
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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.