THE number of stop and searches carried out by police in Warrington has increased by 95 per cent between 2022 to 2023, according to latest Cheshire Police data.

The data released by Chesire Police in February shows that 2,767 stop searches occurred in Warrington in 2023 – more than any other area in the county.

This is a 95 per cent increase from 2022, with 1,348 more stop and searches being carried out by Warrington LPU.

“Warrington Local Policing Unit have been working tirelessly over the past 12 months to proactively prevent crime and disorder in Warrington,” said Superintendent Adam Ross, Warrington Borough Policing Commander.

“The uptick in stop searches reflects our commitment to protect the communities we serve and keep people safe.”

Stop and searches can be carried out by police when they believe there is reasonable suspicion that a person is, has been or is about to be involved in unlawful activity.

Officers can first stop the person to ask them questions, and then carry out a search if they believe there are reasonable grounds to suspect they are carrying an unlawful item.

“Stop and search is a valuable tool in policing, and we are conscious that to ensure the confidence of the communities we serve, we must show that we’re using these powers legally, proportionately, and in accordance with current information and intelligence.,” said Superintendent Adam Ross.

“The way our officers use stop and search is governed by extensive guidance and officers must always have reasonable grounds before any searches take place.

“Anyone with concerns can report it by going to https://www.cheshire.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/.”

Runcorn also recorded a large number of stop and searches, with 2,140 taking place in 2023, 60.7 per cent more than in 2022.

The number of stop and searches in Runcorn last year made up 14.7 per cent of the total incidents across Cheshire.

Two of the recorded incidents in Runcorn in 2023 were involving a person under the age of 10.

Increases in stop and searches were seen across the county - except in Northwich, which saw a decrease of 0.3 per cent.

The data also shows that the vast majority of stop and searches carried out last year were for controlled drugs with 9,003 incidents.

Out of all stop and searches carried out in 2023, only 13.7 per cent resulted in an arrest being made – while 65 per cent resulted in no further action being taken.