Black men were strip-searched in London custody far more than any other group in January 2026, new data from the Metropolitan Police Service has revealed.
Of the 3,298 black men in custody during the first month of 2026, 611 were strip-searched – representing 18.5% of the group.
This was 5.1% more than the next highest group, white men, which StopWatch policy advocacy lead Jodie Bradshaw believes highlights how black men are disproportionately strip-searched in custody compared with other groups.
Bradshaw said: “We can date that back to more historic narratives that frame, paint and portray black communities differently than Asian communities.
“This is potentially at play in the different treatment that takes place with strip-searches.”
White men and women’s numbers were consistently similar, with women strip-searched 0.2% more than men in 2025 and 0.5% more in 2026.
This suggests white men and women have largely been treated equally in recent years regarding strip-searches.
However, Asian and black men were strip-searched far more often than women in those groups.
Black men were strip-searched 5.6% more than women in both 2025 and January 2026, while 13.8% more black men were subjected to strip-searches than Asian women in 2025, and Bradshaw does not believe these disparities are accidental.
She said: “There are different sources of stereotyping and caricatures that can play into the high level of discretion that can operate when determining who will be stopped and searched, and whether that stop and search is then followed with a strip search.
“Both black boys and black girls are perceived to be adults by police officers – black children are four times more likely to be strip-searched.”
Across the whole of 2025, Asian men were strip-searched nearly 10 times more often than Asian women, showing a persistent gender gap within the group beyond the start of 2026.
Asian women were the least likely group to be strip-searched at 5.6%, showing how rates vary by race and gender in London – a pattern mirrored in last year’s full data.
The number of strip-searches conducted on men was much higher across each race in the first month of 2026, although the number of men in custody was also far greater.
There were 10,327 men recorded in custody and 1,557 women, with 1,502 men and 190 women subjected to strip searches.
Bradshaw also explained why strip-searches most commonly take place.
She said: “Around 88% of strip-searches were conducted on suspicion of drugs.
“It’s interesting when you’re looking at the racialised breakdown of these police use of powers because we know black people, for instance, report a lower use of drugs relative to the white population.
“You see that over-representation is quite indicative of racial profiling.”
The Met Police has been approached for comment.
Featured image credit: Unsplash
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