POLICE have carried out more than 300 stop and searches in Worcester this year.
Figures show West Mercia Police officers had stopped and searched 325 people across the city up to the end of August.
That’s around a 100 more than at the same point last year.
Police can stop and search people if they reasonably suspect they are carrying drugs, weapons, stolen property or other items linked to crime.
In some circumstances, officers can also carry out ‘suspicionless’ searches in designated areas authorised by a senior officer.
FORCE: Police parked up in the high street in Worcester (Image: Getty Images)
Most of the stop and searches in Worcester took place in the city centre with the vast majority involving searches for controlled drugs.
Others searches were for stolen goods, offensive weapons, fireworks, and items officers believe could be used to carry out a theft.
Of the 325 that have taken place across the city so far this year, 172 took place in what the police class as the Cathedral ward, which includes the city centre.
This compares to 21 in Gorse Hill and Rainbow Hill, 37 in Battenhall and Nunnery, 38 in Warndon, 23 in Arboretum and Claines and 34 in St John’s and Bedwardine.
Throughout the whole of 2025 there were 392 stop and searches carried out by police officers across Worcester.
Of these, 253 were in Cathedral, with 20 in Gorse Hill and Rainbow, 13 in Battenhall and Nunnery, 43 in Warndon, 12 in Arboretum and Claines, and 42 in St John’s and Bedwardine.
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West Mercia Police says stop and search powers are “hugely important” in protecting the public and tackling crime.
But “stop and search should never be used lightly”, the force warns.
“Police officers must only use their legal right to stop members of the public, and search them, when doing so will further their investigations into criminal activity.
“Some examples could be looking for weapons, drugs or stolen property. By allowing officers to investigate an individual without having to arrest them, it can avoid unnecessary arrests.”
