If you complain about Avon and Somerset Constabulary and ask for a review, the reviewing body found the force's original outcome was not reasonable and proportionate in 23.2% of 185 completed reviews in 2024/25, the 21st highest of 43 forces and 1.3 points below the national figure of 24.5%. Avon and Somerset Constabulary recorded 19,099 stop and searches between 2023-07 to 2026-06, and 63.4% ended in no further action.
Share a fact about Avon and Somerset Constabulary
13.0% of the people searched by Avon and Somerset Constabulary where ethnicity was recorded were recorded by the officer as Black.
Source: data.police.uk, 2023-07 to 2026-06, 16,476 searches with ethnicity recorded. Figures as published; see the tables on this page for the full denominators.
Complaints about Avon and Somerset Constabulary
| Complaint cases logged | 2,835 |
|---|---|
| Employees | 6,657 |
| Cases per 1,000 employees | 425.9 (19th of 44) |
| Review applications to the local policing body | 140 |
| Review applications to the IOPC | 77 |
Where reviews found the outcome was not reasonable and proportionate
| Route | Reviews completed | Outcome overturned | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local policing body, complaint not investigated | 127 | 25 | 19.7% |
Stop and search by Avon and Somerset Constabulary
| Searches recorded | 19,099 |
|---|---|
| Period | 2023-07 to 2026-06 |
| Months of data | 36 of 36 |
| Ended in no further action | 63.4% |
| More than outer clothing removed | 596 |
What Avon and Somerset Constabulary searched people for
| Stated object of search | Searches |
|---|---|
| Controlled drugs | 8,944 |
| Offensive weapons | 3,421 |
| Article for use in theft | 1,976 |
| Stolen goods | 1,857 |
| Articles for use in criminal damage | 694 |
Who Avon and Somerset Constabulary searched
| Officer-defined ethnicity | Searches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 12,489 | 75.8% |
| Black | 2,144 | 13.0% |
| Mixed | 935 | 5.7% |
| Asian | 657 | 4.0% |
| Other | 251 | 1.5% |
Calculated over the 16,476 searches where an officer recorded an ethnicity, which is 86.3% of all searches by this force.
Compared with who lives in the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area
| Ethnic group | Share of searches | Share of residents | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 13.0% | 2.2% | 5.9x |
| Mixed | 5.7% | 2.5% | 2.3x |
| Other | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.5x |
| Asian | 4.0% | 3.5% | 1.1x |
| White | 75.8% | 90.8% | 0.8x |
Use of force by Avon and Somerset Constabulary
| Year | Use of force reports | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 14,524 | |
| 2021/22 | 18,125 | |
| 2022/23 | 17,015 | |
| 2023/24 | 18,855 | |
| 2024/25 | 19,383 |
Recorded use of force by Avon and Somerset Constabulary has risen 33.5% since 2020/21. Nationally the total rose 39.4% over the same period, so this force is below the national trend.
Taser use
| Total recorded Taser uses | 1,173 |
|---|---|
| Of which discharged | 117 |
| Share actually discharged | 10.0% |
Most recorded Taser use is drawing, aiming or red-dotting rather than firing. The share actually discharged is the figure worth knowing.
Complaining to Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Complaints go to the force first. Use its own official channel so the complaint is recorded properly and you get written confirmation.
- Avon and Somerset Constabulary official website
- Telephone: 101
What you can do about it
Complaining to a force and bringing a claim against it are different processes with different outcomes. Reviews overturn the force's own finding in roughly a quarter of cases nationally, which makes the review stage worth understanding before you use it.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary in the news
The five most recent reports mentioning this force, collected automatically. Headlines and links belong to the publishers named. We do not edit, summarise or endorse them, and inclusion here does not imply any finding against anyone.
- Super cars seized after 'dangerous driving' along M4 and M5
- Nine people died after contact with Avon & Somerset Police
- Taxi driver honoured after rushing injured passenger to hospital and supporting major police investigation
- Conman who told victims he had cancer and served in special forces jailed
- Councillor clashes with senior Somerset police officer over M5 suicides response
- Independent Office for Police Conduct, police complaints statistics for England and Wales, 2024/25.
- data.police.uk stop and search API, 2023-07 to 2026-06. Accessed 2026-08-29.
- Home Office police use of force statistics, England and Wales, 2024/25.
Data last refreshed , covering 2023-07 to 2026-06. Every figure on this page is recomputed from the source datasets, not edited by hand. Found something wrong? Tell us.