Strip Search Statistics by Age, Gender and Ethnicity 2015 to 2022
Keywords:
Strip, Search, Searches, Intimate, Body, Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Child, Children, Adult, Clothes, Removal, Clothing, Juvenile.
Publication Number:
PUB 1506
Publication Statement:
Please note that this information is correct as at 19 June 2023 and may be subject to change.
As with all publications of information by Essex Police, please note caveats may apply regarding the accuracy of data.
Title:
Strip Search Statistics by Age, Gender and Ethnicity 2015 to 2022
Date Range:
01 November 2015 to 31 December 2022
Background Information:
Definitions - A strip search is a search involving the removal of more than outer clothing. If a request is made to remove hat, socks and shoes it will be recorded on our system as a strip search. An intimate search consists of the physical examination of a person’s body orifices other than the mouth.
The vast majority of strip searches will be to ensure the safety of the individual and to prevent the detainee from harming themselves. (cord from within a hoody). Replacement clothing is provided if clothing is removed (for evidential or safety purposes).
If a juvenile is detained, an Inspector will provide authorisation in respect of any necessary strip search, unless a urgent strip search is deemed necessary for safety reasons.
From 2022, all under 18s (Juvenile) strip searches documentation / authorisation will be examined by an inspector. A record shall be made of the juvenile’s decision and signed by the appropriate adult. Two thirds of all strip searches are subject to an appropriate authority review.
An intimate search at a police station of a juvenile or vulnerable person may only take place in the presence of an appropriate adult of the same sex, unless the detainee specifically requests a particular appropriate adult of the opposite sex, who is readily available.
In the case of a juvenile, the search may take place in the absence of the appropriate adult only if the juvenile signifies in the presence of the appropriate adult that they do not want the appropriate adult present during the search and the appropriate adult agrees. A record is made of the juvenile’s decision and signed by the appropriate adult.
The presence of more than two people, other than an appropriate adult, shall be permitted only in the most exceptional circumstances.
Note – When a detainee is required to remove clothing that will provide intimate parts this is recorded within the Athena record, however the details of that search and the description is contained within a free text field and therefore statistics cannot be extracted to determine different parts of the body. Likewise, statistics on those searches defined as carried out at any location including school, cannot be extracted as the additional detail may be contained within a free text field.
Related Documents/Links:
PUB 1521 Complaints of Strip Searches of Children Without Appropriate Adult 2018-2022
PUB 1290 Seized Clothing by Custody Sergeants
Essex Police are subject to inspections of police custody, reports can be view via Essex Archives - HMICFRS - HMICFRS (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk)
Data provided under PACE Section 54 and paragraph 4.1 requiring a detainee to be searched, Pace-code-c-2019
Procedures are contained within E0101 Procedure - Detainee Reception | Essex Police
College of Policing Guidance:
Strip Searches - Equality and individual needs
Strip search - Children and young persons
When might a strip search become an intimate search? - Control, restraint and searches
FOI Publication:
Data provided for Strip Searches under Section 54 Custody Search is for the period 01 November 2015 to 31 December 2022.
Total Number of Strip Searches
|
Year |
Strip Searches |
|
2015 |
2 |
|
2016 |
2,763 |
|
2017 |
7,210 |
|
2018 |
7,441 |
|
2019 |
8,149 |
|
2020 |
9,379 |
|
2021 |
7,975 |
|
2022 |
8,239 |
|
Grand Total |
51,158 |
Total Number of Strip Searches Split by Age Group
|
Year |
10-13 |
14-17 |
18+ |
Grand Total |
|
2015 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
2016 |
62 |
2,701 |
2,763 |
|
|
2017 |
13 |
201 |
6,996 |
7,210 |
|
2018 |
22 |
261 |
7,158 |
7,441 |
|
2019 |
6 |
268 |
7,875 |
8,149 |
|
2020 |
18 |
270 |
9,091 |
9,379 |
|
2021 |
10 |
305 |
7,660 |
7,975 |
|
2022 |
14 |
326 |
7,899 |
8,239 |
|
Grand Total |
83 |
1,693 |
49,382 |
51,158 |
Total Number of Strip Searches Split by Gender
| Year | Female | Male | Unspecified | Grand Total |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2016 | 427 | 2,336 | 2,763 | |
| 2017 | 1,017 | 6,193 | 7,210 | |
| 2018 | 958 | 6,482 | 1 | 7,441 |
| 2019 | 980 | 7,168 | 1 | 8,149 |
| 2020 | 1,206 | 8,172 | 1 | 9,379 |
| 2021 | 1,073 | 6,902 | 7,975 | |
| 2022 | 1,187 | 7,049 | 3 | 8,239 |
| Grand Total | 6,848 | 44,304 | 6 | 51,158 |
Total Number of Strip Searches Split by Age Group and Gender
| Oct-13 | 14-17 | 18+ | Grand Total | ||||||
| Year | Female | Male | Female | Male | Unspecified | Female | Male | Unspecified | |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | |||||||
| 2016 | 4 | 58 | 423 | 2,278 | 2,763 | ||||
| 2017 | 13 | 49 | 152 | 968 | 6,028 | 7,210 | |||
| 2018 | 2 | 20 | 23 | 238 | 933 | 6,224 | 1 | 7,441 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 242 | 952 | 6,922 | 1 | 8,149 | |
| 2020 | 18 | 23 | 247 | 1,183 | 7,907 | 1 | 9,379 | ||
| 2021 | 10 | 18 | 287 | 1,055 | 6,605 | 7,975 | |||
| 2022 | 2 | 12 | 75 | 250 | 1 | 1,110 | 6,787 | 2 | 8,239 |
| Grand Total | 6 | 77 | 218 | 1,474 | 1 | 6,624 | 42,753 | 5 | 51,158 |
Total Number of Strip Searches Split by Self-Declared Ethnicity
|
Ethnicity |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
Grand Total |
|
African |
35 |
178 |
260 |
265 |
280 |
242 |
221 |
1,481 |
|
|
Any Other Asian Background |
11 |
52 |
42 |
94 |
87 |
75 |
82 |
443 |
|
|
Any Other Black Background |
39 |
127 |
222 |
237 |
307 |
330 |
319 |
1,581 |
|
|
Any Other Ethnic Group |
7 |
43 |
54 |
79 |
65 |
34 |
62 |
344 |
|
|
Any Other Mixed Background |
13 |
83 |
101 |
107 |
125 |
162 |
202 |
793 |
|
|
Any Other White Background |
34 |
226 |
319 |
359 |
445 |
418 |
510 |
2,311 |
|
|
Arab |
3 |
24 |
33 |
60 |
|||||
|
Bangladeshi |
1 |
28 |
31 |
63 |
75 |
65 |
53 |
316 |
|
|
Caribbean |
15 |
112 |
212 |
165 |
193 |
152 |
142 |
991 |
|
|
Chinese |
7 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
27 |
|||
|
Gypsy or Irish Traveller |
2 |
28 |
23 |
53 |
|||||
|
Indian |
6 |
22 |
20 |
34 |
21 |
29 |
22 |
154 |
|
|
Not stated |
6 |
252 |
376 |
387 |
571 |
809 |
957 |
3,358 |
|
|
Pakistani |
2 |
34 |
28 |
43 |
47 |
28 |
34 |
216 |
|
|
White And Asian |
1 |
21 |
40 |
24 |
26 |
17 |
21 |
150 |
|
|
White And Black African |
3 |
35 |
46 |
73 |
42 |
56 |
46 |
301 |
|
|
White And Black Caribbean |
30 |
131 |
159 |
215 |
174 |
102 |
84 |
895 |
|
|
White British |
465 |
3,375 |
4,674 |
5,034 |
5,479 |
4,713 |
5,036 |
28,776 |
|
|
White Irish |
2 |
46 |
70 |
70 |
76 |
73 |
80 |
417 |
|
|
Not Recorded |
2 |
2,093 |
2,438 |
782 |
894 |
1,355 |
618 |
309 |
8,491 |
|
Grand Total |
2 |
2,763 |
7,210 |
7,441 |
8,149 |
9,379 |
7,975 |
8,239 |
51,158 |
Total Number of Strip Searches Split by Whether an Appropriate Adult was Required to Attend - 01 November 2015 to 31 December 2022
|
Year |
10-13 |
14-17 |
18+ |
Grand Total |
|
No |
4 |
44,185 |
44,189 |
|
|
Yes |
83 |
1,689 |
5,172 |
6,944 |
|
(blank) |
25 |
25 |
||
|
Grand Total |
83 |
1,693 |
49,382 |
51,158 |
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 a number of 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.