If you complain about West Midlands Police and ask for a review, the reviewing body found the force's original outcome was not reasonable and proportionate in 30.4% of 158 completed reviews in 2024/25, the 6th highest of 43 forces and 5.9 points above the national figure of 24.5%. West Midlands Police recorded 83,996 stop and searches between 2023-07 to 2026-06, and 69.8% ended in no further action.
Share a fact about West Midlands Police
49.8% of searches by West Midlands Police were carried out under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Source: data.police.uk, 2023-07 to 2026-06. Figures as published; see the tables on this page for the full denominators.
Complaints about West Midlands Police
| Complaint cases logged | 4,130 |
|---|---|
| Employees | 12,512 |
| Cases per 1,000 employees | 330.1 (34th of 44) |
| Review applications to the local policing body | 105 |
| Review applications to the IOPC | 121 |
Where reviews found the outcome was not reasonable and proportionate
| Route | Reviews completed | Outcome overturned | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local policing body, complaint not investigated | 70 | 18 | 25.7% |
| IOPC, complaint not investigated | 64 | 23 | 35.9% |
Stop and search by West Midlands Police
| Searches recorded | 83,996 |
|---|---|
| Period | 2023-07 to 2026-06 |
| Months of data | 36 of 36 |
| Ended in no further action | 69.8% |
| More than outer clothing removed | 720 |
What West Midlands Police searched people for
| Stated object of search | Searches |
|---|---|
| Controlled drugs | 41,329 |
| Offensive weapons | 20,812 |
| Stolen goods | 10,166 |
| Article for use in theft | 8,631 |
| Firearms | 1,909 |
Who West Midlands Police searched
Use of force by West Midlands Police
| Year | Use of force reports | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 14,809 | |
| 2021/22 | 18,661 | |
| 2022/23 | 23,263 | |
| 2023/24 | 28,353 | |
| 2024/25 | 48,648 |
Recorded use of force by West Midlands Police has risen 228.5% since 2020/21. Nationally the total rose 39.4% over the same period, so this force is rising faster than the national trend.
Taser use
| Total recorded Taser uses | 1,604 |
|---|---|
| Of which discharged | 127 |
| Share actually discharged | 7.9% |
Most recorded Taser use is drawing, aiming or red-dotting rather than firing. The share actually discharged is the figure worth knowing.
Complaining to West Midlands Police
Complaints go to the force first. Use its own official channel so the complaint is recorded properly and you get written confirmation.
- West Midlands Police 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.
West Midlands Police 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.
- Jail for man who sent unwanted explicit messages and image to woman
- Stop and search powers following fatal Birmingham stabbing
- Teenager fights for life after serious crash - police appeal for information
- Manhunt after attempted burglary in Stourbridge
- Renewed appeal after man’s body found in Sutton
- 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.