London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Mar 08, 2026

Black Londoners three times more likely to be stopped than white

Black Londoners three times more likely to be stopped than white

Black Londoners are still three times more likely to be stopped and searched than white Londoners, latest figures from the London mayor's office show.

It comes as new measures have been launched in response to community concerns about policing.

Both City Hall and the Met Police will oversee delivery of the plans.

They include setting up a panel to inform and oversee safer schools officers, and collecting data on the lived experience of black Londoners.

Research from body-worn camera footage will also be published to help improve the police's understanding of the points of escalation and de-escalation in stop and search interactions.

The new data on stop and search activity in London, from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), shows black Londoners of all ages remained three times more likely overall to be stopped than white Londoners between April and June 2022.

When those stop and searches were for weapons, points or blades, black Londoners of all ages were seven times more likely overall to be stopped than white Londoners.

This is an increase compared to the previous period, between January and March, when black Londoners were five times as likely compared to white Londoners.

Less than half of black Londoners, 44%, said they thought stop and search powers were used fairly by the police, and roughly 61% of black Londoners said they trusted the police, compared to 76% of white Londoners.

The mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the new measures responded to concerns and built on the Action Plan created in 2020 in consultation with more than 400 individuals and groups that work with black communities.


The measures include sharing research findings about stop and search practices, using body-worn camera footage

The latest proposals include establishing a safer school "partnership panel" of community representatives, headteachers, youth justice services and the Met to oversee and inform the work of the scheme.

The mayor's office said it followed concerns from residents that black children were being targeted as a result of the scheme.


'Let black Londoners down'


Regular surveys will measure public reaction to the scheme, broken down by ethnicity, to help identify issues.

Additionally, the social action organisation Black Thrive Global and app developers PSi will gather information on black residents' lived experiences and interactions with police officers.

Both Mr Khan and Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley are meeting representatives from City Hall later, alongside deputy mayor of policing and crime Sophie Linden, to discuss the plans.

Sadiq Khan says the plans are aimed at "listening to and acting on the concerns and experiences of black Londoners"


The mayor said while the existing Action Plan was "already working to improve trust and confidence in the Met and to address community concerns", City Hall and the police force needed "to do more".

He continued: "That's why today with the commissioner I've announced a raft of new actions based on those concerns, that cover everything from police tactics and recruitment to community oversight and engagement, so we can build a better, safer and fairer London for everyone."

Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: "I have been candid in saying that I know the Met has let people down - especially black Londoners.

"Under my leadership, I am determined to root out those who corrupt our integrity and rebuild community confidence in policing once more so we can work with black communities to reduce the disproportionate crime they experience."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
France and United Kingdom Deploy Warships to Eastern Mediterranean as Middle East Conflict Escalates
U.K. Arrests Three Men Including Lawmaker’s Partner in Suspected China Espionage Investigation
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
×