We may have been in lock down or else staying indoors more often for a large chunk of 2020 but it didn’t stop thousands of people being stopped and searched by police across Thames Valley last year.
Official figures from Thames Valley police show more than 19,000 people were stopped and searched during 2020 – a rate of 828 per 100,000 people.
That was a 45% increase in comparison to 2019’s figures.
The figures reveal the objects police were looking for – from drugs to weapons to stolen goods – but not what they actually found, although they do tell us how many searches led to an arrest.
So what do we know about stop and search in Thames Valley?
Here we reveal everything you need to know.
5. 18-24s
Those aged 18-24 were most likely to be stopped and searched. They made up 39% of recorded incidents. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Photo: (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
6. London, England/ United Kingdom
3478 children aged between 10 and 17 were stopped and searched, as well as 49 children aged under 10 Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)
7. BAME
People who were defined as Black, Asian, mixed race or any other minority ethnicity by officers were three times more likely to be stopped and searched than those who were defined as White. Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)
8. Cocaine and drugs in packages on black background
Controlled drugs were the reason behind 13,522 searches. Photo: (Photo: Shutterstock)