STOP and search figures in Northern Ireland show a bias against ethnic minorities and children, Amnesty International has said.
The latest PSNI figures showed 23,650 people were stopped and searched in the year ending on March 2023, an increase of four per cent.
Amnesty says that people from ethnic minorities were twice as likely to be stopped and searched while the figures also included more than 2,500 children.
People from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds were said to account for 1,291 stops – 5.5 per cent of the total – even though they make up 3.4 per cent of the local population according to the 2021 census.
Irish Travellers were the most “disproportionately searched” ethnic group according to Amnesty, accounting for 2.7 per cent of the overall figure despite making up only 0.1 per cent of the Northern Ireland population.
Children aged between 13 to 17-years-old make up six per cent of Northern Ireland’s population, but accounted for 11 per cent of all stop and searches too.
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Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland Director, commented: “If you are from a minoritised ethnic community, you are almost twice as likely to be stopped and searched by the PSNI than if you are from the white majority community. The police need to explain why, year after year, this continues to the case.”
He said that black and minority ethnic people in Northern Ireland felt “over-policed, yet under-protected” as victims of racist hate crime.
“The use of stop and search on children is also worrying. There were more than 2,500 stops of children under these powers last year, including children aged 12 years and younger.
“Yet fewer than three per cent of these searches resulted in arrest, suggesting the vast majority of stops were unnecessary.
“Every groundless stop and search can leave a long-lasting negative impact on community relations as well as on the individuals themselves.”
PSNI Chief Superintendent Melanie Jones told the Irish News officers "do not 'target' individuals or ethnic groups".
"These powers are only used when deemed appropriate by the individual officers who are driven by reports from members of the public and by information relating to specific crimes or crime trends. There are clear legal and operational guidelines which officers must comply with for every search," she said.
"We are acutely aware that stop and search is a sensitive issue for our communities and I can assure the public we have processes in place to ensure that stop and search is used effectively and proportionately."
Superintendent Jones said the use of powers including stop and search are continually reviewed.
"We are continually seeking to improve and recognise the benefits of detailed data to build our understanding of the use of this power. We have recently begun further work with stakeholders including the Northern Ireland Policing Board to improve how we record and monitor the community background of those we stop and search," she added.
