July 11, 2006: New Race-related Crime Statistics

The government has released new statistics on race and criminal justice. Figures for 2005, just released by the government, showed that members of black and minority ethnic (BME) groups were more likely to be arrested, or stopped and searched, than white people.

The total number of stop and searches conducted by police increased by 14% in 2005, with terrorism-related searches increasing by 9%. Black people were 6 times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than white people and there were nearly twice as many searches of Asian people than white people. The statistics also showed that racist incidents recorded by the police had increased by 7% in 2005.

BME groups are, however, becoming better represented as employees in the criminal justice agencies, but the police service remains the agency with the poorest representation of BME groups – 3.5% of police officers were from BME groups (as at March 2005), compared with 4.4% for prison officers and 10.9% for probation staff.

Gerry Sutcliffe, Home Office Minister with responsibility for the criminal justice system, said the government would continue to address the contentious issue of race to make the system as fair as possible:

"It is vital we deliver a system that represents everyone, promotes equality, and in which we can all have confidence, whether as victims, witnesses, defendants, offenders or as staff working within the Criminal Justice System... Black and minority ethnic communities are still most at risk of being victims of crime."

He acknowledged that stop and search is a contentious issue within black and minority ethnic communities, but emphasised that it is a vital tool in tackling crime.