Patterns of offending by ethnicity

Official statistics show that some minority ethnic groups experience higher rates of interaction with the police and courts compared to the white majority.

Ethnic disparities in stop and search, arrests, and convictions

Disparities in stop and search

• Black ethnic groups - Black people are six times more likely to be stopped and searched than any other group, even though 90 per cent of these stops do not result in an arrest.
• Asian ethnic groups - People from Asian backgrounds are two times as likely to be stopped and searched compared to white people.

Disparities in arrests and convictions

• Black ethnic groups - Black people are twice as likely to be convicted of an offence compared to white people.
• Asian ethnic groups - While more likely to be stopped, Asian groups are less likely to be arrested or convicted.

Ethnic composition of the UK prison population

Breakdown of prison population by ethnicity in 2020

Black people are three times more likely to be sent to prison than white people following conviction.

Patterns of victimisation by ethnicity

Key findings on victimisation from the CSEW

• Higher risks for minority groups - White people are less likely to be victims of crime overall compared to Black and Asian people.
• Specific crime types - African-Caribbean and British Asian groups experience higher rates of street robbery.
• Racially motivated crimes - These groups also suffer more from hate crimes.