Police stop-and-searches of ethnic minorities soar

Diigo

THE number of black and Asian people stopped and searched by Merseyside police surged by more than 80% last year. New figures reveal an 88% increase in black people being searched, and an 81% rise for Asians.

At the same time, the number of stop and searches on white people only increased by 35%, between April and September, 2005.

It is the second dramatic inflation in the numbers being searched last year, with people from ethnic minorities still about five times more likely to be stopped than white people.

Merseyside Police said the increase was down to more stop and searches being carried out overall. A spokes-woman stressed the proportions were evening out between the number of ethnic minority people being stopped compared to the number of white people.

Diigo