Regulating Police Stop and Search: An Evaluation of the Northamptonshire Police: Reasonable Grounds Panel—Fact Sheet

Police stops, including stop and search, vehicle stops, and identity checks, are one of the most common forms of adversarial contact between police and public. These encounters are notoriously asymmetric and have profound implications for police and community relations

This fact sheet and corresponding report examine the Reasonable Grounds Panel developed by the Northamptonshire Police in England, which is an innovative approach to regulating police use of their stop and search powers. The Panel engages members of the public directly in determining whether individual officers have met the legal requirements for ‘reasonable grounds’ when using their powers, and provides the basis for follow-up action where it is deemed that this requirement has not been met.