The number of stop and searches carried out by Hertfordshire Constabulary increased by 15% last year, with the county's Police and Crime Commissioner saying the figures show a more proactive approach to tackling crime.

New figures for 2025/26 reveal officers conducted 7,735 stop and searches, up from the previous year. Of those, 40% resulted in police action – including arrests, the discovery of weapons or drugs, or the use of an Out of Court Resolution such as a cannabis warning. That success rate is above the national average and has risen by 1.1% compared with the previous year.

While district-level figures show St Albans (1,102), Watford (1,099) and Stevenage (939) recorded the highest number of stop and searches, the latest county-wide data reflects policing activity across Hertfordshire, including North Hertfordshire.

The Police and Crime Commissioner's office said the increased use of the tactic has been accompanied by robust oversight.

An independent Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel, made up of members of the public, regularly reviews body-worn video footage and stop and search records to assess whether officers are using their powers appropriately. Over the past year, the panel rated 79% of the cases it reviewed as demonstrating good or excellent practice.

Where concerns were identified, they generally related to officers not providing sufficiently detailed explanations in their written records to justify the search.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: "Used effectively, stop and search is an important police power to disrupt criminality and take weapons and drugs off our streets. I'm pleased to see Hertfordshire bucking the national trend and increasing the use of stop and search in the last year. The figures are an important demonstration of proactive policing happening to make our communities safer.

"Importantly, the proportion of stop and searches which result in police action has also increased, to 40%, which is above the national average. This shows that the increase in stop and search has been done in a responsible way and is increasingly focused on those individuals who need to be stopped."

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He added that the tactic is subject to significant public scrutiny and thanked members of the independent panel for helping to ensure it is used fairly and effectively.

The Commissioner is also encouraging more residents to get involved in scrutinising police powers, particularly people under the age of 40, who are currently under-represented on the panel.

Anyone interested in joining a Hertfordshire police powers scrutiny panel can contact the Police and Crime Commissioner's office for more information.