THE number of times police officers in Hertfordshire have used ‘stop and search’ powers has continued to fall, according to figures in a new report.

But, says the draft Annual Report of the Hertfordshire Community Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel, officers still need to do more to justify their use of the “intrusive” power.

According to the draft report – which was presented to the Police and Crime Panel on Thursday – between February 2017 and February 2018 there was an average of around 513 ‘stop and searches’ a month.

That’s lower than data from previous years, that shows that between March 2016 and March 2017 there were 7561 ‘stop and searches’ – which is equivalent to 630 a month.

It is four times lower than four years ago (March 2013 to March 2014) when there were 25,112 ‘stop and searches’ – with a monthly average of 2092.

In addition, the report highlights that a greater proportion of those searches are now followed by arrest.

Last year more than one in every six searches (17 per cent) were followed by an arrest – whereas in 2013/14 it was just one in 10.

In his foreword to the Report, Panel chair Jeffrey Burke says: “Since the Panel began to operate, we have seen that standards have clearly risen.

“The fall in the overall number of stop and searches and the increase in the percentage of positive outcomes is important.”

However the Report by the Panel  – which regularly analyses data, reviews search records and looks at bodycam footage – suggests some police officers still need to do more to justify stop and search.

It says that sometimes police officers do not provide enough information about the reasons that led to their decision to ‘stop and search’ or that the grounds for the search are not recorded appropriately.

On other occasions it says officers have not turned on their cameras early enough to capture the initial encounter, making it difficult for the Panel to review.

And in the Report, there are calls for further training and for tougher sanctions imposed on officers who do not follow the law correctly or who rely on weak grounds for stop and search.

In his own foreword, Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd says ‘stop and search’ is an important and effective tool that needs to be carried out according to the law and with due respect.

He points to video evidence that some officers are failing to record the whole stop and search encounter.

And he says: “Getting this right is crucial to building and maintaining the confidence, trust and reassurance in communities that policing by consent relies on.”

In his own foreword to the report, Assistant Chief Constable Bill Jephson highlights both the benefits of ‘stop and search’ and the need to act appropriately.

“The power to stop and search someone, when used fairly, professionally and effectively, can help police officers find stolen property, discover knives or weapons and any other items that can cause harm,” he says.

“It can also prevent the need to arrest someone if a police officer is satisfied that there are no grounds for concerns they have about someone’s behaviour.

“However if we don’t get it right, if police officers are discourteous or do not follow the law correctly in their approach, our actions can make people less confident that we are acting in the interests of the public.”

The report also finds that some ethnic groups are disproportionately stopped and searched. But the report says that this data is “inconclusive” and it is not detailed.