Stop and search in Watford
In the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, police recorded 834 stop and searches in Watford, up 22% on the previous 12 months. Relative to the local population, Black people were stopped and searched at 2.8 times the rate of White people, and Asian people at 0.7 times. The most common reason for a search was drugs (63% of searches). 76% of searches ended with no further action, and 11% 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 | 137 | 6,527 | 21.0 |
| White | 470 | 62,220 | 7.6 |
| Asian | 137 | 25,029 | 5.5 |
| Other | 16 | 3,649 | – |
| Mixed | 1 | 4,825 | – |
What people were searched for
| Reason for search | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 525 | 63% |
| Weapons | 152 | 18% |
| Theft-Related Items | 115 | 14% |
| Stolen Property | 37 | 4% |
| Other | 3 | <1% |
| Criminal Damage Items | 2 | <1% |
What happened after the search
| Outcome | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No further action | 630 | 76% |
| Community resolution | 93 | 11% |
| Arrest | 90 | 11% |
| Summons / charged by post | 15 | 2% |
| Khat or Cannabis warning | 3 | <1% |
| Caution (simple or conditional) | 3 | <1% |
Neighbouring areas
Hertsmere · Three Rivers · St Albans
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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.