15% increase in stop and search welcomed by PCC

A 15% increase in the police’s use of stop and search, along with an increase in the positive outcomes from those searches, has been welcomed by Hertfordshire Police & Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards. 

In 2025/26, Hertfordshire Constabulary conducted 7,735 stop and searches, a 15% increase on the previous twelve months.  

40% of stop and searches resulted in a police action, which is higher than the national average. Police action could be a finding of a weapon or drugs, an arrest or the use of an Out of Court Resolution (OOCR) such as a cannabis warning. Importantly the 40% police action rate has increased by 1.1% over the last year, showing that the increased use of stop and search has been done effectively. 

St Albans (1,102 stop and searches), Watford (1,099) and Stevenage (939) were the districts with the highest number of stop and searches. 

The Police & Crime Commissioner is assisted in his scrutiny of the use of police powers by scrutiny panels made up of independent members of the public. The Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel reviews a selection of stop and search records and provides feedback to Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Police & Crime Commissioner’s office. The panel regularly reviews disproportionality in the use of stop and search.  

Over the last year, the scrutiny panel judged 79% of the stop and search records it scrutinised to show ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ practice. Areas where the panel had less confidence typically related to search records not being sufficiently clear or detailed about the officer’s justification for the stop. 

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Police & Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said: 

“Used effectively, stop and search is an important police power to disrupt criminality and take weapons and drugs off our streets. I’m pleased to see Hertfordshire bucking the national trend and increasing the use of stop and search in the last year. The figures are an important demonstration of proactive policing happening to make our communities safer. 

“Importantly, the proportion of stop and searches which result in police action has also increased, to 40%, which is above the national average. This shows that the increase in stop and search has been done in a responsible way and is increasingly focused on those individuals who need to be stopped. 

“The use of stop and search is rightly heavily scrutinised, both in my scrutiny role as PCC and through the independent stop and search scrutiny panel. I thank the scrutiny panel members for their commitment. I am pleased that the panel continue to have a high degree of confidence in how the tactic is used in Hertfordshire and welcome the recommendations for future improvements the panel makes. 

“Members of the public who would like to find out more about joining a police powers scrutiny panel should contact my office at [email protected]. We would be particularly pleased to hear from Hertfordshire residents under the age of 40 who would be interested in taking part”.