Arrests for Drug Possession 2021 to 2024
Publication Number: 1569
FOI Number: 21006
Information Request
The request relates to the time period June 2021 until June 2024.
How many people were arrested for having possession of a controlled drug (without intent to supply), including:
Class A - Powder Cocaine;
Class B - Cannabis and cannabis resin / Cannabinol / Cannabinol derivatives; Amphetamine
Please breakdown the data by both ethnic appearance and by outcome type. Please provide this breakdown within the same table of data, so that I can see how many people from each ethnicity received each different type of punishment (e.g. How many white people were charged, how many black people were charged, and so on).
Further Clarification
I only require data for arrests which resulted in proceedings against the suspect
FOI Duty
First Duty – Essex Police does hold information relating to your request.
Second Duty – See below
Fact – See below
Exemption – Not applicable
Essex Police can report as follows:
Caveat: The data is correct as at 20 November 2024
Notes
- The request relates to both arrests and crime outcomes. Therefore two tables have been provided for each type of drug - one shows the number of arrests for possession with disposal type and the other shows the number of offences with outcome type.
- For arrest data, the custody recording system was searched to identify all arrests for Drugs Possession - Class A, and Drugs Possession Class B or C.
- The type of drug is not specified in the Reason For Arrest field of the custody system. Therefore the arrest circumstances field was used to identify those that contained the keywords Cannabis, Cocaine, or Amphetamine.
- In some cases, the arrest related to possession of both cannabis and cocaine. These have been counted once for each type of drug.
- In some cases, the type of drug was not stated in the arrest circumstances (most likely due to having not been confirmed at the time of arrest). These are shown in a separate table for 'unknown drug'.
- The offence with outcomes data only relates to offences that have recorded outcome types 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 7 & 8 - i.e. offences that resulted in proceedings against the suspect.
- The numbers of arrests and the numbers of offences do not directly correlate and cannot be compared. Offence outcomes are decided and applied at a later date after the arrest, so an arrestee may be proceeded against for a different offence to which they were originally arrested.
Results
Numbers of Arrests for Possession of Cannabis by Disposal Type and Arrestee Ethnicity - June 2021 to June 2024
|
Possession of Cannabis - Arrests |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disposal Type |
Asian |
Black |
Chinese, Japanese or South East Asian |
Middle Eastern |
White - North European |
White - South European |
Unknown |
Grand Total |
|
Adult Caution |
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
Adult Conditional Caution |
6 |
11 |
2 |
1 |
121 |
9 |
|
150 |
|
Bail to Police Station |
14 |
56 |
|
3 |
218 |
4 |
4 |
299 |
|
Charge |
44 |
156 |
|
1 |
607 |
23 |
6 |
837 |
|
Charge - Postal |
14 |
49 |
2 |
2 |
232 |
9 |
1 |
309 |
|
Community Resolution |
26 |
100 |
1 |
8 |
681 |
24 |
6 |
846 |
|
Detained for court – Other (non charge) |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Detention Refused |
2 |
3 |
|
|
10 |
|
1 |
16 |
|
Postal Requisition (applied from case) |
5 |
21 |
2 |
|
81 |
7 |
1 |
117 |
|
Refused Charge (NFA) |
28 |
110 |
1 |
2 |
518 |
24 |
11 |
694 |
|
Released Under Investigation |
1 |
11 |
|
|
64 |
2 |
|
78 |
|
Released Without Charge - Confirmed Mistaken Identity |
|
|
|
1 |
5 |
|
|
6 |
|
Reported for Process |
2 |
11 |
|
|
33 |
1 |
1 |
48 |
|
Transferred - to other lawful Detention Authority |
1 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
6 |
|
Transferred - to Police Force |
|
3 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
4 |
|
Youth Caution |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
Youth Conditional Caution |
|
1 |
|
|
4 |
|
|
5 |
|
Grand Total |
143 |
535 |
8 |
18 |
2586 |
103 |
31 |
3424 |
Numbers of Arrests for Possession of Cocaine by Disposal Type and Arrestee Ethnicity - June 2021 to June 2024
|
Possession of Cocaine - Arrests |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disposal Type |
Asian |
Black |
Chinese, Japanese or South East Asian |
Middle Eastern |
White - North European |
White - South European |
Unknown |
Grand Total |
|
Adult Caution |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
Adult Conditional Caution |
1 |
|
|
|
29 |
1 |
|
31 |
|
Bail to Police Station |
|
3 |
|
|
46 |
3 |
1 |
53 |
|
Charge |
3 |
11 |
|
|
103 |
2 |
1 |
120 |
|
Charge - Postal |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
62 |
2 |
|
69 |
|
Community Resolution |
3 |
3 |
|
|
55 |
4 |
1 |
66 |
|
Detention Refused |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
3 |
|
Postal Requisition (applied from case) |
1 |
1 |
|
|
24 |
2 |
|
28 |
|
Refused Charge (NFA) |
2 |
9 |
|
|
81 |
5 |
|
97 |
|
Released Under Investigation |
|
1 |
|
|
8 |
|
|
9 |
|
Released Without Charge - Confirmed Mistaken Identity |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Reported for Process |
|
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
7 |
|
Transferred - to other lawful Detention Authority |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Grand Total |
11 |
30 |
2 |
|
422 |
19 |
3 |
487 |
Numbers of Arrests for Possession of Amphetamine by Disposal Type and Arrestee Ethnicity - June 2021 to June 2024
|
Possession of Amphetamine - Arrests |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disposal Type |
Asian |
Black |
Chinese, Japanese or South East Asian |
Middle Eastern |
White - North European |
White - South European |
Unknown |
Grand Total |
|
Bail to Police Station |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Charge |
|
1 |
1 |
|
4 |
|
|
6 |
|
Charge - Postal |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
Community Resolution |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
Refused Charge (NFA) |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
Released Under Investigation |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Grand Total |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
13 |
Numbers of Arrests for Possession of Unknown Drug Type by Disposal Type and Arrestee Ethnicity - June 2021 to June 2024
|
Possession of Drugs - Type Unknown - Arrests |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disposal Type |
Asian |
Black |
Chinese, Japanese or South East Asian |
Middle Eastern |
White - North European |
White - South European |
Unknown |
Grand Total |
|
Adult Caution |
|
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
9 |
|
Adult Conditional Caution |
3 |
7 |
|
4 |
74 |
4 |
1 |
93 |
|
Bail to Police Station |
10 |
15 |
2 |
2 |
170 |
7 |
3 |
209 |
|
Charge |
8 |
31 |
|
2 |
278 |
13 |
7 |
339 |
|
Charge - Postal |
3 |
19 |
|
|
138 |
1 |
2 |
163 |
|
Community Resolution |
5 |
13 |
|
|
180 |
4 |
5 |
207 |
|
Detained for court – Other (non charge) |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Detention Refused |
|
2 |
|
|
14 |
|
1 |
17 |
|
Postal Requisition (applied from case) |
1 |
3 |
1 |
|
64 |
2 |
1 |
72 |
|
Refused Charge (NFA) |
18 |
51 |
2 |
4 |
399 |
20 |
8 |
502 |
|
Released Under Investigation |
|
8 |
|
|
33 |
1 |
|
42 |
|
Released Without Charge - Confirmed Mistaken Identity |
|
|
|
|
3 |
1 |
|
4 |
|
Reported for Process |
|
3 |
|
|
15 |
1 |
|
19 |
|
Transferred - to other lawful Detention Authority |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
Transferred - to Police Force |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Youth Conditional Caution |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
Grand Total |
48 |
154 |
5 |
12 |
1381 |
54 |
28 |
1682 |
Numbers of Possession of Cannabis Offences That Resulted in Proceedings Against the Suspect by Outcome Type and Suspect Ethnicity - June 2021 to June 2024
|
Possession of Cannabis/Cannabis derivatives - Offences |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outcome Type |
Asian |
Black |
Chinese, Japanese or South East Asian |
Middle Eastern |
White - North European |
White - South European |
Unknown |
Grand Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
65 |
222 |
4 |
9 |
1105 |
35 |
63 |
1503 |
|
Type 2 - Caution Youth |
|
4 |
|
|
16 |
|
|
20 |
|
Type 3 - Caution Adult |
13 |
20 |
2 |
1 |
278 |
8 |
16 |
338 |
|
Type 6 - Penalty notice for disorder |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
3 |
|
Type 7 - Cannabis/Khat Warning |
|
1 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
7 |
|
Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) |
295 |
759 |
10 |
118 |
5608 |
175 |
410 |
7375 |
|
Grand Total |
373 |
1006 |
16 |
128 |
7015 |
218 |
490 |
9246 |
Numbers of Possession of Cocaine Offences That Resulted in Proceedings Against the Suspect by Outcome Type and Suspect Ethnicity - June 2021 to June 2024
|
Possession of Cocaine - Offences |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outcome Type |
Asian |
Black |
Chinese, Japanese or South East Asian |
Middle Eastern |
White - North European |
White - South European |
Unknown |
Grand Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
13 |
44 |
2 |
5 |
454 |
19 |
17 |
554 |
|
Type 1A - Charged/Summons - alternate offence. Offender has been charged under the alternate offence rule. |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Type 3 - Caution Adult |
1 |
10 |
|
2 |
140 |
6 |
5 |
164 |
|
Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) |
14 |
21 |
1 |
8 |
368 |
17 |
23 |
452 |
|
Grand Total |
29 |
75 |
3 |
15 |
962 |
42 |
45 |
1171 |
Numbers of Possession of Amphetamine Offences That Resulted in Proceedings Against the Suspect by Outcome Type and Suspect Ethnicity - June 2021 to June 2024
|
Possession of Amphetamine - Offences |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outcome Type |
Asian |
Black |
Chinese, Japanese or South East Asian |
Middle Eastern |
White - North European |
White - South European |
Unknown |
Grand Total |
|
Type 1 - Charged/Summonsed/Postal Requisition |
1 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
45 |
|
|
53 |
|
Type 3 - Caution Adult |
|
|
|
1 |
7 |
1 |
|
9 |
|
Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
41 |
1 |
|
45 |
|
Grand Total |
2 |
6 |
1 |
3 |
93 |
2 |
0 |
107 |
Every effort is made to ensure that the data provided by Essex Police is accurate and complete. However, Essex Police systems are designed primarily for the management of individual cases and not for the purposes of providing data to answer specific FOI enquiries. Please note although data can be extracted from several sources via database queries, the results may be subject to inaccuracies. Care should be taken to understand our return when considering the interpretation or further use of the data.
Headline data on recorded Possession of Drugs offences between June 2021 and June 2024 with outcomes can be found within the monthly Essex Police performance reports published by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex:
Essex Police Performance - Essex Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner
The following articles available via our publication scheme may also be of interest:
Published Items - Drugs | Essex Police