Number of arrests

Published 10 October 2017

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Contents

1. Main facts and figures

• a total of 896,209 arrests were carried out in 2015/2016, a fall of 5% on the previous year

• Black people were over 3 times more likely to be arrested than White people

• ethnic minority groups in general were over one and a half times more likely to be arrested than White people

• Black women are more than twice as likely to be arrested than White women

• wide variations in the rates of arrest of ethnic minorities around the UK in part reflect the different ethnic makeup of different areas

Things you need to know

When looking at arrest rates by area, it’s important to note that a person arrested in a particular area will not necessarily live in that area. Estimates of total population in a particular area are based on permanent residents of that area (not visitors), so figures that compare the total population with the number of arrests should be treated with caution.

Where the person’s ethnicity was not identified, or unknown, these cases have been classed as 'unreported' and are not counted in the figures for proportion of arrests by ethnicity.

After a change in their collection process, Cambridgeshire were unable to provide detailed 16+1 ethnicity data for 2015/16, and Humberside could not provide detailed 16+1 data for 2014/15.

Some forces (Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Wiltshire) were unable to provide complete data for 2015/16 due to the changes in the data collection process.

Arrests broken down by the 5 broad ethnic categories for these forces are therefore estimates, and data for the more detailed 16 ethnic categories (see Ethnicity definitions) is not available.

Due to the small number of people living in the City of London compared to the numbers who visit, the area has been excluded from the analysis.

What the data measures

This data measures the number of people arrested for notifiable offences (offences for which the police must inform the Home Office by completing a crime report form).

Data is sourced from the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

The data relates to the 'arrest rate' for the UK's different ethnic groups in different areas. It compares the number of people arrested from a particular ethnic group with the total number of people from that ethnic group living in the area.

Population by ethnicity is taken from the 2011 Census population.

The ethnic categories used in this data

While the population estimates in this data are based on the results of the 2011 census, the ethnic categories used are those listed in the 2001 census. This is because these ethnic categories are easier to compare with the categories used when recording arrests.

The 16 categories listed in the 2001 census are broadly the same as those used in the 2011 census, with the following exceptions:

• the 2001 census categorised Chinese people within 'Other ethnic group'.
• the 2001 census did not list Gypsy and Irish Travellers or Arab people.

The 2001 categories are therefore as follows:

White:

• English/ Welsh/ Scottish/ Northern Irish/ British

• Irish

• Any other White background

Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups:

• White and Black Caribbean

• White and Black African

• White and Asian

• Any other Mixed/Multiple ethnic background

Asian/Asian British:

• Indian

• Pakistani

• Bangladeshi

• Any other Asian background

Black/ African/ Caribbean/ Black British:

• African

• Caribbean

• Any other Black/ African/ Caribbean background

Other ethnic group:

• Chinese

• Any other ethnic group

2. Number of arrests by ethnicity

• Location: England and Wales
• Time period: 2014/15 to 2015/16
• Source: Arrests open data

Arrests per 1,000 population by ethnicity

	2014/15		2015/16
Ethnicity	2014/15 Rate	2014/15 Arrests	2015/16 Rate	2015/16 Arrests
All	16.88	946,759	15.98	896,209
Asian	15.89	60,709	15.62	59,665
Black	44.75	83,461	44.39	82,789
Mixed	24.17	29,599	23.80	29,146
White	15.25	735,128	13.75	663,059
Other	14.55	13,926	15.09	14,443
Unknown	N/A*	23,936	N/A*	47,107

^* Not applicable

Download table data (CSV) Source data (CSV)

Summary of Number of arrests Number of arrests by ethnicity Summary

This data shows that:

• there were 50,550 fewer arrests in 2015/16 compared to the previous year, a fall of 5%

• rates of arrest have fallen for all groups except for those in the Chinese or Other ethnic group; however, for White people they have fallen by 10%, and for ethnic minorities they have fallen by 1%

• in 2016, 78% of those arrested where ethnicity was reported, were White, 10% Black or Black British and 7% Asian or Asian British

3. Number of arrests by ethnicity and gender

• Location: England and Wales
• Time period: 2015/16
• Source: Arrests open data

Arrests per 1,000 by ethnicity and gender, in England and Wales, 2015/16

	All		Female		Male
Ethnicity	All Rate	All Arrests	Female Rate	Female Arrests	Male Rate	Male Arrests
All	15.98	896,209	4.91	139,915	27.43	756,294
Asian	15.62	59,665	2.55	4,810	28.36	54,855
Black	44.39	82,789	10.37	10,028	81.01	72,761
Mixed	23.80	29,146	7.66	4,695	39.98	24,451
White	13.75	663,059	4.51	110,841	23.37	552,218
Other	15.09	14,443	4.30	1,970	25.02	12,473
Unknown	N/A*	47,107	N/A*	7,571	N/A*	39,536

^* Not applicable

Download table data (CSV) Source data (CSV)

Summary of Number of arrests Number of arrests by ethnicity and gender Summary

This data shows that:

• in 2015/16, 15% of all women arrested in England and Wales were from an ethnic minority, compared with 23% of all men arrested, a figure consistent with recent years

• of the total number of people from ethnic minority groups arrested in 2015/16, 12% were women

• of the total number of White people arrested in 2015/16, 17% were women

• Black men are almost three and a half times more likely to be arrested than White men

• Black women are 2.3 times more likely to be arrested than White women

4. Number of arrests by ethnicity and area

• Location: England and Wales
• Time period: 2015/2016
• Source: Arrests open data

Number of arrests by ethnicity and area

	All		Asian		Black		Mixed		White		Other
Geography	All Rate	All Arrests	Asian Rate	Asian Arrests	Black Rate	Black Arrests	Mixed Rate	Mixed Arrests	White Rate	White Arrests	Other Rate	Other Arrests
All	15.98	896,209	15.62	59,665	44.39	82,789	23.80	29,146	13.75	663,059	15.09	14,443
Avon & Somerset	15.58	24,918	16.57	547	56.17	1,737	30.59	865	14.25	21,261	9.88	152
Bedfordshire	15.91	9,783	17.66	1,439	36.13	1,074	26.77	494	13.77	6,565	14.97	131
Cambridgeshire	13.49	10,854	20.39	806	83.74	852			11.87	8,622	38.58	485
Cheshire	13.64	14,021	15.09	193	69.24	226	11.99	125	13.31	13,258	15.87	83
Cleveland	25.69	14,316	22.04	384	70.03	221	15.62	90	25.61	13,484	28.42	126
Cumbria	13.82	6,907	20.25	59	79.45	46	11.18	28	13.62	6,704	16.82	27
Derbyshire	15.05	15,323	17.68	652	28.74	290	13.10	188	14.67	13,936	32.69	238
Devon & Cornwall	9.27	15,459	14.79	173	75.74	311	13.61	213	8.95	14,559	11.30	107
Dorset	14.87	11,067	15.80	169	127.81	410	19.04	181	13.55	9,685	18.85	113
Durham	18.17	11,245	32.66	167	46.31	49	19.10	81	17.87	10,818	26.40	80
Dyfed-Powys	10.80	5,561	10.76	46	70.09	60	9.20	30	10.64	5,370	7.47	15
Essex	14.11	24,342	7.60	296	18.66	647	8.47	234	4.92	7,912	5.98	92
Gloucestershire	8.94	5,339	12.74	134	56.89	293	15.47	134	7.95	4,527	29.29	88
Greater Manchester	14.57	39,075	13.97	3,437	31.11	2,305	21.48	1,304	13.46	30,260	10.67	571
Gwent	14.24	8,214	19.95	201	45.53	145	22.53	125	13.61	7,547	21.01	75
Hampshire	12.24	23,227	9.56	548	63.51	1,108	17.89	553	11.18	19,796	9.23	193
Hertfordshire	17.58	19,622	15.46	991	49.49	1,554	31.20	858	15.16	14,821	14.53	226
Humberside	11.44	10,502	10.91	133	31.56	142	14.17	116	11.34	10,041	4.80	36
Kent	13.14	22,695	12.83	695	63.38	1,450	17.63	481	11.18	17,975	41.00	641
Lancashire	15.54	22,699	11.48	1,249	42.03	226	18.40	300	15.43	20,374	4.23	44
Leicestershire	9.68	9,853	7.61	1,185	34.89	859	14.72	302	9.09	7,254	4.45	85
Lincolnshire	12.85	9,173	17.03	95	48.03	123	12.12	75	11.99	8,350	27.83	79
London, City of	N/A*	1,775	N/A*	224	N/A*	327	N/A*	94	N/A*	931	N/A*	41
Merseyside	20.52	28,339	17.56	331	52.84	769	24.00	503	19.89	25,966	15.61	336
Metropolitan Police	23.29	190,195	18.13	25,141	45.89	49,948	28.58	11,575	18.54	90,494	17.64	7,143
Norfolk	16.64	14,272	11.93	117	72.90	336	18.65	187	11.37	9,415	10.51	57
North Wales	21.87	15,045	11.68	74	91.52	137	9.09	45	21.79	14,616	14.16	63
North Yorkshire	14.66	11,677	11.30	112	26.81	97	11.13	83	12.55	9,652	8.66	54
Northamptonshire	14.46	10,004	12.84	290	46.50	787	21.86	310	13.43	8,496	10.10	55
Northumbria	19.20	27,276	17.95	678	46.52	419	14.38	179	19.13	25,700	4.36	78
Nottinghamshire	21.92	23,927	23.50	1,134	59.70	1,629	37.41	1,159	20.08	19,471	16.29	252
South Wales	20.80	26,701	14.94	535	55.35	705	23.81	423	19.67	23,575	11.17	211
South Yorkshire	12.19	16,372	14.36	785	32.62	840	11.50	239	11.65	14,187	9.54	236
Staffordshire	13.75	15,090	24.27	853	50.99	436	27.95	394	12.77	13,187	18.44	136
Suffolk	13.52	9,845	10.21	112	53.40	366	19.32	241	9.29	6,441	10.92	51
Surrey	9.92	11,233	11.79	637	53.10	660	14.94	352	8.90	9,111	8.08	151
Sussex	12.93	20,785	12.21	499	82.34	1,173	19.94	599	11.05	16,641	14.80	242
Thames Valley	16.66	37,809	18.28	3,519	45.50	3,140	34.47	1,930	13.88	26,642	12.06	393
Warwickshire	9.80	5,345	10.51	239	52.44	233	20.63	164	9.06	4,583	14.42	67
West Mercia	10.58	12,935	21.97	477	81.39	412	19.46	262	9.91	11,664	12.37	70
West Midlands	13.58	37,170	10.32	5,094	26.40	4,332	22.27	2,142	12.54	24,075	11.37	722
West Yorkshire	17.62	39,223	17.90	5,026	33.20	1,543	26.56	1,278	15.99	29,103	11.63	359
Wiltshire	10.29	6,996	10.88	189	61.09	372	21.44	210	9.32	5,990	9.74	39

^* Not applicable Data not collected

Download table data (CSV) Source data (CSV)

Summary of Number of arrests Number of arrests by ethnicity and area Summary

This data shows that:

• in North Wales, 2% of people arrested were from an ethnic minority background (the lowest rate)

• in London, 51% of people arrested were from an ethnic minority background (the highest rate)

• differences in the rate of ethnic minority arrests around the UK are likely, in part, to reflect the different ethnic makeup of those areas (with many more people from an ethnic minority living in London than in Wales, for example)

5. Methodology

Data presented here relates to the police power of arrest. In line with police recorded crime statistics, this data covers arrests for all notifiable offences carried out by police in England and Wales. (A notifiable offence is a crime which the police must inform the Home Office about by completing a crime report form.)

A person arrested for a notifiable offence is counted for each occasion on which they are arrested, provided that the offence is not connected or related to an offence for which the person has already been subject to arrest during the year. If it is connected, or if a person has been arrested for one or more notifiable offences on the same occasion, the offence with the highest maximum penalty is recorded.

Suppression rules and disclosure control

Ethnicity of individuals arrested are collected on 16+1 self-defined ethnicity codes. A small proportion of individuals did not state their ethnicity these are recorded as 'unreported' in the data. For each financial year the proportion (%) of total arrests in the year that recorded with an ethnicity was ‘not stated’ are:

• 2006/07 – 7%

• 2007/08 – 4%

• 2008/09 – 2%

• 2009/10 – 2%

• 2010/11 – 2%

• 2011/12 – 2%

• 2012/13 – 2%

• 2013/14 – 2%

• 2014/15 – 3%

• 2015/16 – 5%

Related publications

Police powers and procedures, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2016 (PDF opens in a new window or tab)

Further technical information

Data recording - Under the code of practice for the Statutory Powers of arrest, arresting officers are required to record details of an arrest at the time of arrest, or as soon as possible. -A universal code of practice (PACE code G) ensures arrests are standardised across forces, both in terms of the processes involved, and the data recorded. - Forces use arrest records to inform custody records which are used for a number of administrative purposes, including processing arrestees and monitoring performance. It is essential for forces’ operational needs that they keep these records up to date. - Police forces have their own internal auditing methods to ensure the data are accurate and up to date before sending data to the Home Office. Custody Sergeants are also employed in police stations to ensure that those brought into custody are processed in line with the code of practice. - The self-defined ethnicity of the person arrested is recorded according to the ethnicity stated by the arrestee at the time of arrest. -For some forces, an arrest will only be recorded if an individual is taken to a custody suite and a custody record is created

Quality assurance - Forces’ use and recording of arrests are monitored by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). HMIC carries out regular inspections and produce reports on the inspections. - The Home Office statisticians undertake quality assurance checks which include looking for missing/incomplete data, inconsistencies in the data, extreme values. Trend analyses also look for unusual or unexpected trends in the data. Any inconsistencies or unusual trends are flagged with forces, who are requested to either explain the trends, or resubmit to amend the data. All data are then confirmed by forces during a data reconciliation to confirm they are content for the figures to be published.

6. Data sources

Source

Arrests open data

Type of data

Administrative data

Type of statistic

National Statistics

Publisher

Home Office

Publication frequency

Yearly

Purpose of data source

This data is an Annual Data Requirement (ADR). This means it is mandatory for police forces in England and Wales to provide the Home Office with the number of arrests carried out each financial year by ethnicity.

Data on arrests is collected by statisticians in Crime and Policing Analysis.

7. Download the data

number_of_arrests - Spreadsheet (csv) 1 MB

This file contains the following: ethnicity, year, police force area, arrests, population and rate

Publication release date: 10 October 2017

full page history

1. 10 October 2017 First published

From: Home Office

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