Police Stop and Search in England : A Critical Realist Approach / by Winifred Agnew-Pauley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Agnew-Pauley, Winifred.

Series:

Palgrave's Critical Policing Studies, 2730-5368

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Criminology.

Critical criminology.

Ethnology.

Social justice.

Crime--Sociological aspects.

Crime.

Crime Control and Security.

Critical Criminology.

Ethnography.

Social Justice.

Crime and Society.

Local Subjects:

Crime Control and Security.

Critical Criminology.

Ethnography.

Social Justice.

Crime and Society.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (159 pages)

Edition:

1st ed. 2026.

Place of Publication:

Cham : Springer Nature Switzerland : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan, 2026.

Summary:

This book offers a critical realist analysis of police stop and search practices in England, examining the underlying mechanisms that drive both intended and unintended outcomes. Stop and search remain controversial: seen by many as necessary for preventing crime, yet criticised for perpetuating harm through racial discrimination and strained police-community relationships. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews with police officers and stakeholders, and quantitative analysis of stop and search data, the book identifies the contextual factors and generative mechanisms that shape how stop and search is used and what outcomes it produces. It reveals how historical tensions between police and marginalised communities, inconsistent political messaging, and an emphasis on low-level drug enforcement contribute to disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and socio-economically disadvantaged areas. The research uncovers several significant mechanisms. Officer identity plays a central role: for 'proactive' officers, stop and search is embedded in their professional self-conception. Neighbourhood bias drives operational decisions, leading to over-policing of stigmatised areas. A disconnect exists between officers' protective justifications and the reality that most stops target young men for minor cannabis possession rather than serious offending. By examining how contextual factors and generative mechanisms interact, the book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding stop and search in England and internationally. It demonstrates why procedural reforms consistently fail and that meaningful change requires addressing the deep-rooted structures that generate harmful outcomes. Winifred Agnew-Pauley is a criminologist specialising in policing and drug policy. She completed her PhD at Flinders University, Australia, producing the first critical realist ethnography of stop and search in England. She is currently a Policy and Project Officer at Youth Justice NSW, Department of Communities and Justice. She has held research positions across government, academic, and criminal justice institutions in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Contents:

1: Introduction – The Problem of Stop and Search in England

2: Researching Police Stop and Search – An Ethnographic and Mixed-Methods Approach

3: Contextualising Stop and Search in England

4: Understanding the Mechanisms of Stop and Search

5: The Outcomes of Stop and Search – Efficacy and Impact

6: Towards a Realist Explanation - Findings, Theories and Implications

7: Conclusion – Reframing Stop and Search.

Notes:

Print version record.

ISBN:

9783032270634