May 27, 2025 | Operational Policing, Investigations and Events , Stop and Search
Request Number: FOI/14581
Category: Operational policing, Investigations and Events - Stop and Search
Subject: Stop & Searches
Request and Answer:
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.
Request Details
Since the enactment of both The Terrorism Act 2000 and Justice & Security (NI) Act 2007 the police in the North of Ireland have been afforded the right to stop, detain, search and question individuals which has been deemed compatible with ECHR law. As part of further research I am currently conducting I wish through the medium of the Freedom Information Act 2000 to obtain the following information from the Police Service. I therefore request to invoke my General Right of Access to public information which is currently not available in the public domain.
Request 1
How many Stop and Searches have been carried out by the Police re aforementioned Acts quoted above in Northern Ireland from the following dates: 1st January 2021 through 1st February 2025?
Answer 1
Table 1 below shows the number of persons stopped and searched by the PSNI in Northern Ireland between 1 January 2021 and 1 February 2025 under sections 43/43A of the Terrorism Act
2000 and section 24 of the Justice and Security Act 2007.
| Legislation | Number of persons stopped and searched |
|---|---|
| Terrorism Act 2000 s43/43A | 855 |
| Justice and Security Act 2007 s24 | 13,166 |
Please note this excludes vehicle-only searches. The figures in the table above are provisional and subject to change.
Request 2
How many houses/addresses have been searched using the above legislation from 1st January 2021 through 1st February 2025?
Answer 2
In respect of Search Records received and processed by Co-ordination and Tasking Centre (CTC) Belfast ,CTC North and CTC South , please see below outlined figures:
2021 -166 records found under different parts of Justice and Security Act (JSA) and Terrorism Act (TACT) legislation, some include other legislation also.
2022- 162 records found under different parts of Justice and Security Act (JSA) and Terrorism Act (TACT) legislation, some include other legislation also.
2023 – 215 records found under different parts of Justice and Security Act (JSA) and Terrorism Act (TACT) legislation, some include other legislation also.
2024 –145 records found under different parts of Justice and Security Act (JSA) and Terrorism Act (TACT) legislation, some include other legislation also.
2025- (up to 01/02/2025)- 1 record
It is also important to note in the interests of accuracy that there may well be further relevant Search Records in existence which have not yet made their way to/been brought to the attention of CTC Belfast, CTC North and CTC South.