Official Statistics

Police use of force statistics, England and Wales: April 2023 to March 2024

Published 5 December 2024

Applies to England and Wales

From 1 April 2017, all police forces in the UK have been required to record data on the police’s use of force, to provide the public with more information on the different types of force used, and the context in which it occurs.

Data was collected from the 43 Home Office funded police forces in England and Wales. For the year ending 31 March 2024, data was also collected from the British Transport Police (BTP).

One use of force report represents one police officer’s use of force on one person, where any of the following force tactics were used.

Restraint tactics:

• handcuffing (compliant or non-compliant)
• limb or body restraints
• ground restraint

Unarmed skills:

• escorting individuals
• distraction strikes with hands and feet
• pressure point and joint locks

Use of other equipment:

• a baton (including where it was drawn but not used)
• irritant spray (including where it was drawn but not used)
• spit and bite guard
• shield (for example, person struck or pushed with a shield)

Less lethal weapons:

• conducted energy device (CED), for example, TASER ® (including non-discharge uses)
• attenuating energy projectile (AEP) (including where it was drawn but not used)

Firearms:

• use of conventional firearms (including where it was aimed but not fired)

Other:

• use of dogs (including where a dog was deployed but did not come into contact with the person)
• other or improvised tactics

See the user guide for more details on tactics, including a tactics glossary.

1. Main findings

In the year ending 31 March 2024, police forces in England and Wales, including the BTP, recorded 747,396 use of force reports. Each report provides details of one officer’s use of force on one person, and can involve multiple use of force tactics.

BTP provided data on the use of force for the first time in the year ending 31 March 2024 (3% of use of force reports overall). Excluding BTP, there was a 10% increase in use of force reports compared with the year ending 31 March 2023. The increase is likely due to continued improvements in the recording of use of force since the data collection began in the year ending 31 March 2018. Including BTP, there has been a 13% increase in use of force reports compared with the year ending 31 March 2023.

Restraint tactics (for example, handcuffing, limb or body restraints, ground restraint) were the most common type of force used (in 574,687 reports, 77%). This was a similar proportion to the year ending 31 March 2023 (78%).

79% of use of force reports involved men, and almost half (48%) of all use of force reports involved people aged 18 to 34 years. The rate of use of force was 3.2 times higher for those from Black ethnic groups compared with those from White ethnic groups in England and Wales (excluding the Metropolitan Police). This compares with 3.3 in the year ending 31 March 2023.

The most common reason an officer used force was to protect themselves (501,621 use of force reports, 67%); a similar proportion to the year ending 31 March 2023 (69%).

The most commonly reported factor that impacted on the incident where force was used (impact factor) was the person being under the influence of alcohol (283,518 use of force reports, 38%); a similar proportion to the year ending 31 March 2023 (37%).

The most common outcome for the person experiencing the use of force was being arrested (528,609 use of force reports, 71%); the same proportion as the year ending 31 March 2023.

2. Information about these statistics

One use of force report represents ‘one officer’s use of force on one person’. More than one type of force may have been used per report.

As well as the tactics used, officers must also record:

• the person’s details (age, gender, ethnicity and physical or mental health condition, as perceived by the reporting officer if not self-defined)
• the reasons for using force
• factors that impacted on the incident in which force was used in general
• the outcomes for the person who force was used on
• the type of location where force was used
• injuries to the person involved resulting from the use of force directly, and to officers during the incident where force was used

Statistics on the police use of force do not include reports of force used in designated public order events (where officers may use force over a period of time against a person not subsequently apprehended). See the user guide for more information.

Limitations of these statistics

Whilst these statistics provide a national picture of police use of force in England and Wales, and coverage is considered to be good, there are some limitations; for example injuries to the person experiencing the use of force, and the outcomes for that person, cannot be linked to individual tactics. See the user guide for more details.

Statisticians in the Home Office work closely with police forces and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to improve the quality and completeness of these statistics.

2.1 Official statistics classification

Police use of force statistics are classified as official statistics. This is the seventh year of their publication; they spent 3 years as official statistics in development and are now in their fourth year as official statistics.

More information on official statistics is available in the user guide.

3. Use of force reports and tactics

Police officers who deploy any use of force tactics must report the details of their use of force. Each report relates to one officer and one person only, but can involve multiple force tactics.

3.1 Total number of comparable use of force reports increased by 10%

Police in England and Wales, including BTP, submitted 747,396 use of force reports in the year ending 31 March 2024. This compares with 659,372 in the year ending 31 March 2023, an increase of 88,024 (+13%). Excluding BTP, who supplied data for the first time in the year ending 31 March 2024, police submitted 728,315 use of force reports, an increase of 10% (+68,943) compared with the year ending 31 March 2023.

Of the 43 police forces in England and Wales (excluding BTP), 36 (84%) submitted a higher number of use of force reports compared with the year ending 31 March 2023. Feedback from police forces and analysis of their force level data shows that these increases were likely due in part to the continued improvement in the recording of the most common use of force tactics (for example restraint, unarmed skills and other tactics) within some police force areas.

3.2 Number of tactics reported increased by 8%

There were 1,062,633 use of force tactics recorded within the 747,396 use of force reports, with most reports involving 1 or 2 tactics (91% of reports). Excluding BTP, the number of tactics increased by 8% (+77,997) compared with the year ending 31 March 2023, driven by increases in the most common tactics (restraint +7% (+44,011), unarmed skills +12% (+27,524) and other tactics +5% (+3,001)), likely due in part to the continued improvement in the recording of these tactics.

Figure 1: Number of times tactics were used, by tactic group, England and Wales, years ending 31 March 2022 to 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 1

Notes:

1. The number of tactics does not sum to the total number of use of force reports, as multiple tactics can be recorded in a report.
2. Less lethal weapons include CED, for example TASER ®, including where it was used without being discharged and AEP, including where it was drawn but not used.
3. Other tactics include the use of dogs and other or improvised tactics such as vehicles or horses.
4. Firearms is the use of conventional firearms, including where the firearm was aimed or fired. Information on the number of times a firearm was intentionally discharged at persons is published in Police use of firearms, April 2023 to March 2024.
5. See the data tables for a full list of tactics included within groups.
6. Excludes BTP.

Restraint was the most common tactic type (662,867 tactics, 62% of use of force tactics). The majority of restraint tactics involved handcuffing (79% of restraint tactics), which accounted for almost half (49%) of all use of force tactics, the same proportion as the year ending 31 March 2023. 65% of handcuffing was compliant (where the individual does not resist and follows requests) and 34% was non-compliant, the same proportions as the year ending 31 March 2023. Compliancy was not stated for 0.7% of handcuffing tactics.

Unarmed skills were the second most common tactic type, reported 255,962 times (24% of tactics; similar to the year ending 31 March 2023; 23%). These include escorting the individual, distraction strikes with the hands or feet, and pressure point and joint locks.

Other tactics were the third most common tactic type, reported 62,791 times (6% of tactics; the same proportion as the year ending 31 March 2023) and can include the use of dogs and other or improvised tactics. Excluding BTP, there was a 5% increase (+3,001) in other tactics, driven by an increase in ‘other or improvised’ tactics, which are tactics not otherwise listed, and may also include the use of horses or vehicles, for example. Feedback from some forces shows that improvements in their recording systems continue to enable better recording of these tactics.

Tactics involving ‘other equipment’, for example baton, irritant spray, spit and bite guard and shield were reported 40,086 times (4% of all tactics). Excluding BTP, there was a 9% (+3,357) increase in tactics involving ‘other equipment’ in the year ending 31 March 2024.

There were 6,211 firearms tactics used; 5,949 where the firearm was aimed, 2 where the firearm was fired and 260 where the use type was not stated (for example, where it may have been drawn but not aimed). This compares with 5,477 firearm aimed tactics, 11 firearm fired tactics and 402 tactics where the use type was not stated in the year ending 31 March 2023. As a proportion of all tactics, firearms tactics remained the same as the year ending 31 March 2023 (0.6%).

Data quality

The number of use of force reports does not reflect how many individual people experienced police use of force. Each report represents one officer’s use of force on one person.

4. Use of force by personal characteristics

Due to the nature of police incidents where police officers use force, self-defined characteristics of the person who experienced the use of force are sometimes not known or recorded at the time when force was used. However, sometimes this information can be obtained during the incident in which force was used in, for example when the person is questioned in custody if they are arrested.

To improve the quality of data on personal characteristics, from the year ending 31 March 2024, officers separately recorded the person’s ‘self-defined’ ethnicity and health condition, if it was known. Where self-defined characteristics were not known, officers recorded what they perceived the characteristics to be. The statistics below include self-defined personal characteristics where available and officer perceived characteristics where not available.

4.1 Almost half of use of force reports involved people aged 18 to 34 years

In the year ending 31 March 2024, almost half (48%) of use of force reports involved people aged 18 to 34 years (361,460 incidents). 11% of reports (85,148) involved those aged 17 and under, and of these, 885 were aged under 11 (0.1% of all reports). Overall, the age spread of those experiencing police use of force remained similar to the year ending 31 March 2023.

Figure 2 shows that people aged 18 to 34 years were the group most over-represented in use of force reports (48%) compared with the overall population of England and Wales (22%).

Figure 2: Population and use of force by age of person involved, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 2; Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2021 Census

Notes:

1. Includes BTP.

Figure 3 and table 1 below show use of force tactics by age group. The use of restraint tactics was proportionally lower in the youngest and oldest age groups (31% for those aged under 11 and 57% for those aged 65 and over). These groups experienced a higher proportion of unarmed skills and other or improvised tactics (see the user guide for more details on these tactics). This may be evidence of officers using alternative tactics to handcuffing on the youngest and oldest age groups, as per police guidance on personal safety.

In the under 11 age group, there were 5 reports of CED tactics in the under 11 age group (all of these were non-discharges, for example, where the CED was drawn, aimed, red-dotted or arced) and 2 reports of a firearm aimed (but not fired) tactic.

Figure 3: Proportion of tactics used by type of tactic and age of person involved, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 2

Notes:

1. Some tactics have been grouped - see the data tables for details of groupings.
2. Proportions of less than 2% are not labelled.
3. Includes BTP.

Table 1: Proportion of each tactic group by age of person involved, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Proportion of tactic experienced by group	Under 11	11 to 17	18 to 34	35 to 49	50 to 64	65 and over	Age not reported	Total	Number of times tactic group used
Restraint	0.05%	11%	49%	30%	8%	0.6%	1%	100%	662,867
Unarmed skills	0.2%	12%	48%	29%	7%	0.8%	3%	100%	255,962
Other equipment	0.04%	7%	53%	31%	6%	0.4%	3%	100%	40,086
Less lethal weapons	0.01%	9%	51%	29%	8%	0.8%	3%	100%	34,716
Firearms	0.03%	9%	57%	23%	7%	0.8%	3%	100%	6,211
Other	0.4%	13%	47%	28%	8%	1%	3%	100%	62,791
% of reports involving group	0.1%	11%	48%	30%	8%	0.8%	2%	100%

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 2

Notes:

1. Includes BTP.

Table 1 shows that 11% of use of force reports involved those aged 11 to 17. This group experienced proportionally fewer less-lethal weapons (9%) and firearms tactics (9%) compared with other tactics. These proportions were the same in the year ending 31 March 2023.

People aged between 18 and 34 years accounted for 48% of all use of force reports and experienced a higher proportion of police use of less lethal weapons (51%) and firearms (57%) compared with other tactics. These proportions were 53% and 60% respectively in the year ending 31 March 2023.

4.2 79% of police use of force involved men

The use of force data collection includes the gender of the person. It is likely that officers record a mixture of perceived and self-reported gender and sex. ‘Sex’ can be considered to refer to whether someone is male or female based on their physiology. ‘Gender’ refers to a social construct or sense of self that takes a wider range of forms.

Of the 747,396 use of force reports in the year ending 31 March 2024, 79% involved men (589,211), a similar proportion to the year ending 31 March 2023 (80%), and 18% involved women (the same proportion as the year ending 31 March 2023). In 3% of reports gender was not reported (2% in the year ending 31 March 2023) and in 0.3% of use of force reports the person’s gender was recorded as other gender (the same proportion as the year ending 31 March 2023), which may include people who are or were perceived as non-binary, for example.

Figure 4: Proportion of tactics used, by type, and gender of person involved, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 3

Notes:

1. Some of the tactics have been grouped - see the data tables for groupings.
2. Proportions of less than 2% are not labelled.
3. Gender is likely to include a mixture of officer perceived and self-reported gender and sex.
4. Includes BTP.

Table 2 shows that 79% of use of force reports involved men, and they experienced a higher proportion of police use of less lethal weapons (88%) and firearms (90%) compared with other tactics. Proportions were similar to the year ending 31 March 2023.

Table 2: Proportion of tactics experienced, by type, and gender of person involved, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Proportion of tactic experienced by group	Men	Women	Other	Gender not reported	Total	Number of times tactic group used
Restraint	80%	18%	0.2%	2%	100%	662,867
Unarmed skills	74%	22%	0.3%	3%	100%	255,962
Other equipment	84%	12%	0.5%	3%	100%	40,086
Less lethal weapons	88%	8%	0.4%	3%	100%	34,716
Firearms	90%	7%	0.3%	3%	100%	6,211
Other	71%	26%	0.4%	3%	100%	62,791
% of reports involving group	79%	18%	0.3%	3%	100%

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 3

Notes:

1. Gender is likely to include a mixture of officer perceived and self-reported gender and sex.
2. Includes BTP.

4.3 Use of force increased across all ethnic groups

Table 3 shows the number and proportion of use of force reports by ethnic group (self-defined ethnic group where available; officer perceived ethnic group where it was not). In the year ending 31 March 2024, 7% of use of force reports involved an individual from an Asian ethnic group, 12% from a Black ethnic group, 3% from a Mixed ethnic group, 73% from a White ethnic group and 2% from an Other ethnic group, similar proportions to the year ending 31 March 2023. These proportions were similar to data collected for officer perceived ethnicity only; 7% for Asian, 12% for Black, 2% for Mixed, 72% for White and 3% for Other.

Table 3: Use of force by ethnic group, years ending 31 March 2023 and 2024

Ethnicity	Year ending 31 March 2023	Year ending 31 March 2024
Asian (or Asian British)	47,122 (7%)	51,054 (7%)
Black (or Black British)	84,858 (13%)	88,160 (12%)
Mixed ethnic group	14,172 (2%)	19,385 (3%)
White	483,318 (73%)	544,231 (73%)
Other ethnic group	16,910 (3%)	17,652 (2%)
Ethnicity not reported	12,992 (2%)	26,914 (4%)
Total use of force reports	659,372 (100%)	747,396 (100%)

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 4

Notes:

1. Figures for the year ending 31 March 2024 include those reported by the BTP for the first time.
2. Where possible, officers recorded the person’s self-defined ethnicity as one of the 19 categories defined by the ONS 2021 Census; these were then grouped into the above categories and combined with officer perceived ethnicity for analysis.

Figure 5 shows the number of use of force reports in the year ending 31 March 2024 by ethnic group compared with the year ending 31 March 2023. The number of use of force reports increased by 10% overall (excluding reports from BTP), with increases seen in those from a Mixed ethnic group (+31%; +4,448), White ethnic group (+10%; +49,536) and Asian ethnic group (+5%; +2,482). There was a 1% (-1,066) decrease in those from a Black ethnic group and a 0.9% decrease (-159) in those from an Other ethnic group. Whilst the inclusion of self-reported ethnicity data in the year ending 31 March 2024 figures may have contributed to the changes seen in some ethnic groups, the impact on proportions overall was small.

Figure 5: Number of use of force reports by ethnicity, years ending 31 March 2023 to 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 4

Notes:

1. Chart does not show figures for ethnicity not reported.
2. Where possible, officers recorded the person’s self-defined ethnicity as one of the 19 categories defined by the ONS 2021 Census; these were then grouped into the above categories and combined with officer perceived ethnicity for analysis.
3. Excludes BTP.

Figure 6 shows the proportion of tactics used by tactic type and ethnicity.

Figure 6: Proportion of tactics used by type and ethnicity, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 4

Notes:

1. Some tactics have been grouped - see the data tables for details on groupings.
2. Where possible, officers recorded the person’s self-defined ethnicity as one of the 19 categories defined by the ONS 2021 Census; these were then grouped into the above categories and combined with officer perceived ethnicity for analysis.
3. Proportions of less than 3% are not labelled.
4. Includes BTP.

Table 4 shows that in the year ending 31 March 2024, people from a Black ethnic group (12% of use of force reports) were involved in proportionally more incidents involving the police use of less lethal weapons (15%) and firearms (20%) and people from a White ethnic group (73% of use of force reports) were involved in proportionally fewer incidents involving the police use of less lethal weapons (70%) and firearms (55%) compared with other tactics.

People from an Asian ethnic group (7% of use of force reports) were involved in proportionally more incidents involving the police use of firearms (12%) and proportionally fewer incidents involving the use of less lethal weapons (6%).

These patterns were similar to those seen in the year ending 31 March 2023. See data table 4 for further information.

Table 4: Proportion of tactics experienced by type and ethnicity, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Proportion of tactic experienced by group	Asian (or Asian British)	Black (or Black British)	Mixed ethnic group	White	Other ethnic group	Ethnicity not reported	Total
Restraint	7%	12%	3%	73%	2%	3%	100%
Unarmed skills	6%	11%	3%	74%	2%	4%	100%
Other equipment	5%	12%	3%	73%	3%	5%	100%
Less lethal weapons	6%	15%	3%	70%	2%	4%	100%
Firearms	12%	20%	3%	55%	4%	7%	100%
Other	4%	10%	3%	77%	2%	4%	100%
% of reports involving group	7%	12%	3%	73%	2%	4%	100%

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, England and Wales, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 4

Notes:

1. Where possible, officers recorded the person’s self-defined ethnicity as one of the 19 categories defined by the ONS 2021 Census; these were then grouped into the above categories and combined with officer perceived ethnicity for analysis.
2. Includes BTP.

4.4 Calculating rate of use of force by ethnicity has several limitations

The rate of use of force can be calculated for different ethnic groups by taking the number of times tactics were used on each ethnic group and dividing by the number of people resident in England and Wales in each ethnic group.

Population figures by ethnicity from the ONS 2021 Census were released by ONS on 29 November 2022 and used to calculate rates of use of force by police force area and ethnicity.

Calculating rates of use of force by ethnicity provides insight into the relative use of force for different ethnic groups. However, it has the following limitations and should be interpreted with caution for the following reasons:

• multiple reports of use of force may be recorded on the same individual, meaning that the personal characteristics of that individual are over-represented in the use of force dataset
• data is not available on the ethnicity of all people that the police come into contact with, and therefore the calculation does not consider any disproportionality in this group, which is affected by much wider socioeconomic factors, and assumes the distribution is the same as the resident population of England and Wales
• police force areas vary in their ethnicity composition; an average national figure presumes that all use of force tactics and ethnicity groups are spread evenly across forces, whereas these can differ considerably between forces
• within a police force area there can be significant variation in terms of the distribution of different ethnicity groups, which may be masked by force level averages
• rates are influenced by the accuracy of the population figures available at the time

The Metropolitan Police force area is the largest in England and Wales. It has a proportionately larger number of Asian, Black, Mixed and Other ethnic groups resident within its police force area (46%) compared with the rest of England and Wales (13%) (calculated from the ONS 2021 Census).

Therefore, rates are calculated for the Metropolitan Police separately from other forces in England and Wales.

The following analysis compares the overall rate of use of force per 1,000 people for each ethnic group against the relative rate at which people from each ethnicity experienced use of force in comparison to White individuals. A relative rate lower than one indicates a lower likelihood whilst a relative rate greater than one indicates a higher likelihood. For example, a relative rate of 2 would mean that a group experiences use of force twice as much as the White group.

4.5 Rate of use of force 3.2 times higher for those from Black ethnic group

Table 5 shows that use of force tactics involved people from a Black ethnic group at a rate 3.2 times higher than those from a White ethnic group in police force areas in England and Wales excluding the Metropolitan Police (3.3 in the year ending 31 March 2023 and 3.0 in the year ending 31 March 2022). Similar to the year ending 31 March 2023, the rate for those from an Asian ethnic group was lower than the rate for White individuals and the rate for the Mixed ethnic group was similar to the White group. The rate for the Other ethnic group was 1.4 (1.2 in the year ending 31 March 2023).

In the Metropolitan Police force area, use of force tactics involved people from a Black ethnic group at a rate 3.7 times higher than those from a White ethnic group (3.5 in the year ending 31 March 2023 and 3.4 in the year ending 31 March 2022). Similar to the year ending 31 March 2023, the rate for those from an Asian or Mixed ethnic group was lower than the rate for those from a White ethnic group and the rate for Other ethnic groups was similar to the White group.

Table 5: Rate of use of force (all tactics) by ethnicity, England and Wales, years ending 31 March 2024 and 31 March 2023

	Asian (or Asian British)	Black (or Black British)	Mixed ethnic group	White	Other ethnic group
Year ending 31 March 2024
England and Wales	0.8	3.1	1.0	1.0	1.2
England and Wales excluding Metropolitan Police	0.8	3.2	1.1	1.0	1.4
Metropolitan Police	0.8	3.7	0.8	1.0	1.1
Year ending 31 March 2023
England and Wales	0.8	3.4	0.8	1.0	1.2
England and Wales excluding Metropolitan Police	0.8	3.3	0.9	1.0	1.2
Metropolitan Police	0.8	3.5	0.7	1.0	1.3

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 16; ONS 2021 Census

Notes:

1. In the year ending 31 March 2024, officers separately recorded the person’s self-defined ethnicity as one of the 19 categories defined by the ONS 2021 Census where possible; these were then grouped into the above categories and combined with officer perceived ethnicity for analysis. In the year ending 31 Match 2023, officers recorded self-defined ethnicity where known and officer perceived ethnicity where not known combined together and grouped into the above categories.
2. Rates for Asian, Black, Mixed and Other ethnic groups are shown in relation to the White ethnic group.
3. Excludes BTP.

Separate rates of use of force for men aged 18 to 34 were also calculated, as 39% of use of force involved this group (42% in the year ending 31 March 2023). Men aged 18 to 34 and from a Black ethnic group experienced use of force at a rate 3.7 times higher than men from a White ethnic group and aged 18 to 34 in England and Wales. The rate for men aged 18 to 34 for those from an Asian ethnic group was lower than the rate for White individuals and the rate for Mixed and Other ethnic groups was similar to the White ethnic group.

Women aged 18 to 34 and from a Black ethnic group experienced use of force at a rate 1.8 times higher than women from a White ethnic group and aged 18 to 34 in England and Wales. The rate for women aged 18 to 34 from an Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic groups was lower than the rate for White women.

4.6 Rate of use of force per 1,000 people varied by personal characteristics

The overall rate of use of force in England and Wales was 13 reports per 1,000 people in the year ending 31 March 2024. This rate was higher for men aged 18 to 34 years (46 per 1,000 people) and, of these, highest for those from a Black ethnic group (147 per 1,000 people). This compares with 145 per 1,000 people from a Black ethnic group in the year ending 31 March 2023. The rate was 40 per 1,000 people for White men aged 18 to 34 years. See data table 18 for rates of use of force by age, gender and ethnicity.

Figures 7 and 8 show the proportion of use of force by age and gender compared with the resident population of England and Wales for Black and White ethnic groups.

Figure 7: Proportion of use of force by age, gender and Black ethnic group, compared with the resident population, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Figure 8: Proportion of use of force by age, gender and White ethnic group, compared with the resident population, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, open data table and data table 18; ONS 2021 Census

Notes:

1. Includes BTP.
2. Gender is likely to include a mixture of officer perceived and self-reported gender and sex.

4.7 Situations in which police use force can include arrests, stop and search and detentions under the mental health act (MHA)

The Home Office collects and publishes information on arrests and stop and search in the annual Police powers and procedures: Stop and search and arrests, England and Wales statistical bulletin, and information on detentions under the mental health act in the annual Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales statistical bulletin.

Figure 9 shows police use of force, arrests, stop and search and detentions under the MHA by ethnic group (where reported), alongside the prison population and overall population of England and Wales.

People from a Black ethnic group were over-represented for the police use of force (12%) compared with the population of England and Wales (4%). Proportions were similar across the England and Wales prison population (12%) and stop and search incidents (13%) for those from a Black ethnic group.

People from an Asian ethnic group were under-represented in police use of force (7%) compared with the population of England and Wales (9%).

Figure 9: Ethnicity proportions by population, prison population, use of force, stop and search, arrests and detentions under the MHA, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 4; ONS 2021 Census; Home Office ‘Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024’, tables A_01c, SS_05 and MHA.03a; Ministry of Justice ‘Ethnicity and the criminal justice system, 2022’, table 6.01

Notes:

1. One person may appear in multiple datasets, for example, where a person is stopped and searched, the person is arrested and force is used.
2. ‘Ethnicity not reported’ is not shown in figure 9.
3. Data on the prison population is the most recent available (year ending 30 June 2023).
4. Proportions of less than 4% are not labelled.
5. Police use of force, stop and search and detentions under the MHA data include data from BTP. Arrests data excludes BTP.

4.8 20% of use of force involved people with a mental health condition

The health condition of the person is based on self-reported information where available and officer perception where it was not.

The majority (77%) of police use of force involved people with no physical or mental health condition (577,055 reports).

People with mental health conditions (including those with mental and physical health conditions) accounted for 20% of use of force (17% in the year ending 31 March 2023) and those with physical health conditions (including those with physical and mental health conditions) accounted for 3% of use of force (1% in the year ending 31 March 2023). These proportions were 19% and 1% respectively when calculated from the data collected on the officer perceived health condition of the person only.

Figure 10 shows use of force tactics by health condition of the person involved.

Figure 10: Proportion of tactics by type and health condition, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 5

Notes:

1. Some tactics have been grouped - see the data tables for groupings.
2. Proportions of less than 3% are not labelled.
3. Data is based on self-reported information where available and officer perception where not.
4. Includes BTP.

Table 6: Proportion of tactics experienced by type and health condition, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Proportion of tactic experienced by group	No health condition	Mental health condition	Physical health condition	Physical and mental health condition	Not reported	Total
Restraint	77%	19%	1%	1%	0.9%	100%
Unarmed skills	72%	23%	1%	2%	1%	100%
Other equipment	75%	21%	1%	1%	1%	100%
Less lethal weapons	75%	22%	1%	1%	0.9%	100%
Firearms	88%	10%	1%	0.7%	0.4%	100%
Other	69%	26%	1%	1%	2%	100%
% of reports involving group	77%	19%	1%	1%	1%	100%

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 5

Notes:

1. Data is based on self-reported information where available and officer perception where it was not.
2. Includes BTP.

Use of force on individuals with a mental health condition (including those with a mental and physical health condition) varied by ethnic group. 23% of White individuals, 15% of Black individuals, 14% of Asian individuals, 18% of individuals from a Mixed ethnic group and 12% of individuals from an Other ethnic group either self-reported or were perceived to have a mental health condition.

5. Use of force by reason, impact factors and outcomes

Officers have the option to record multiple reasons, impact factors and outcomes relating to their use of force within a report. For example, an officer may use force to assist in making an arrest and protect themselves.

5.1 Protection most common reason for using force

The most reported reasons for using force were:

• for the reporting officer’s own protection (501,621 reports, 67%)
• the protection of other officers (437,827 reports, 59%)
• to assist in making an arrest (400,095 reports, 54%)

These proportions remained similar to the year ending 31 March 2023.

Figure 11: Top 5 reasons for using force, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 6

Notes:

1. Figure 11 shows the 5 most common reasons only.
2. Multiple reasons can apply, therefore percentages sum to more than 100%.
3. Includes BTP.

Where the use of force involved the police use of firearms, including where a firearm was aimed or fired, the most common reasons for using force included protecting the public.

5.2 Alcohol reported as having an impact in over a third of use of force reports

Factors that impacted on the incident that force was used in are recorded by officers and include: the possession of weapons, alcohol, drugs, mental health, prior knowledge relating to the incident, the size, gender or build of the person, acute behavioural disturbance, crowds and other impact factors. Multiple impact factors can be recorded in each use of force report.

The most commonly reported impact factors were:

• alcohol (283,518 reports, 38%)
• the size, gender or build of the person involved (237,009 reports, 32%)
• drugs (227,952 reports, 30%)

These proportions were similar to the year ending 31 March 2023.

Where firearms or less lethal weapons (CEDs and AEPs) were used, the most common impact factor recorded was the person being in possession of a weapon (90% of reports including firearms tactics and 64% of reports including less lethal weapon tactics).

5.3 Most common outcome of use of force was person arrested

The most common outcome for the person experiencing use of force was that they were arrested (528,609 use of force reports, 71%), the same proportion as the year ending 31 March 2023.

‘Other’ was the second most common outcome (107,386 reports, 14%), and compares with 15% in the year ending 31 March 2023. This could include the person being cautioned, or de-arrested following further information, for example. See the user guide for further details.

Figure 12: Outcomes for the person experiencing the use of force, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 8

Notes:

1. Multiple outcomes can apply, therefore percentages sum to more than 100%.
2. Includes BTP.

6. CED (conducted energy device)

CED (for example, a TASER ®) details are recorded against 7 categories: drawn, aimed, arced, red-dot (non-discharge uses - no electricity is discharged into the person), direct contact mode, fired and angled drive stun (discharge uses).

For category definitions, see the user guide.

The statistics present the ‘highest’ category recorded from each use of force report. For example, if a CED is drawn, aimed, red-dotted and fired, fired will be shown as the category.

6.1 Where CED categories were stated, 8% were discharged

CEDs were recorded as a tactic in 33,478 use of force reports in the year ending 31 March 2024 (including BTP), a small decrease compared with the year ending 31 March 2023 (-53; -0.2%). Excluding BTP, this decrease was 299 (-0.9%). The decrease (excluding BTP) included an 11% (-329) reduction in discharge tactics and a 28% decrease (-303) in CED tactics where the category was not stated. There was a 1% (+333) increase in non-discharges.

Where the category type was stated, the CED was discharged in 8% (2,657) of reports and not discharged in 92% (30,024). In the year ending 31 March 2023, the CED was discharged in 9% and not discharged in 91% of reports where the category type was stated.

Of the 2,603 use of force reports where the CED discharge type was known in the year ending 31 March 2024, 2,553 (98%) were fired, 31 (1%) were discharged in direct contact mode and 19 (0.7%) were discharged in angled drive stun mode. This compares with 2,945 firings (99% of discharges), 18 (0.6%) discharges in direct contact mode and 15 (0.5%) discharges in angled drive stun mode in the year ending 31 March 2023.

For the year ending 31 March 2024, police forces recorded whether the CED was fired once, fired more than once or fired with an extended discharge (more than the standard 5 second cycle), if they had recorded that the CED was discharged. This is presented as official statistics in development to indicate that the data is new and that further development of the data collection and quality assurance is needed. Of the 2,657 use of force reports where the CED was discharged (including where discharge type was not stated), 1,917 (72%) involved firing the CED once, 530 (20%) more than once and 242 (9%) included an extended discharge. These categories add up to more than the total discharges as more than one type of discharge can apply.

6.2 Decrease in CED tactics for third consecutive year

Figure 13 shows that CED tactics (including discharges and non-discharges) doubled from the year ending 31 March 2018 to the year ending 31 March 2021 (+17,503; +103%), likely reflecting a combination of increases in the number of CED-trained officers and CED availability across police forces in England and Wales, and improvements in recording following the introduction of the national use of force data collection.

Since the year ending 31 March 2021, there have been small decreases for three consecutive years (-0.9% in the year ending 31 March 2024 (excluding BTP), -2% in the year ending 31 March 2023 and -0.4% in the year ending 31 March 2022), which may indicate that the impact of the factors included above has levelled off.

Figure 13: Number of CED tactics, England and Wales, year ending 31 December 2014 to year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 13; Police use of TASER ® X26 conducted energy devices statistics, England and Wales, collection

Notes:

1. Excludes BTP.

Statistics on police use of CEDs from 2003 to 2016 that were collected and published by the Home Office on a calendar year basis are available on GOV.UK.

6.3 Once drawn, CED discharges were similar across ethnicities

Once drawn, CEDs were discharged in 8% of incidents involving people from a White ethnic group, in 7% of incidents involving people from a Black or Other ethnic group and 6% of incidents involving people from an Asian or Mixed ethnic group. These proportions were similar to the year ending 31 March 2023.

Table 7: CED tactics, by type of use and ethnicity, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

CED use type	CED tactics	Non-discharges	Discharges	Not stated
Asian (or Asian British)	1,976 (6%)	1,821 (92%)	123 (6%)	32 (2%)
Black (or Black British)	5,074 (15%)	4,656 (92%)	339 (7%)	79 (2%)
Mixed ethnic group	925 (3%)	854 (92%)	53 (6%)	18 (2%)
White	23,208 (69%)	20,615 (89%)	1,954 (8%)	639 (3%)
Other ethnic group	818 (2%)	750 (92%)	55 (7%)	13 (2%)
Ethnicity not reported	1,477 (4%)	1,328 (90%)	133 (9%)	16 (1%)
Total	33,478 (100%)	30,024 (90%)	2,657 (8%)	797 (2%)

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 4

Notes:

1. Drawn, aimed, arced and red-dot are defined as ‘non-discharges’ as no electricity is discharged into the person. Direct contact mode, fired, and angle drive-stun are defined as ‘discharges’.
2. Where percentages have been rounded, they may not sum to the total.
3. Includes BTP.

6.4 Rate of CED use highest for Black ethnic group

The rate of CED discharges (fired, direct contact mode and angled drive stun mode) and non-discharges (drawn, aimed, red-dot, arced) is calculated for different ethnic groups by taking the number of times a CED was discharged or drawn, aimed or red-dotted for each ethnic group, and dividing by the number of people within each ethnic group for a given population. Whilst this calculation provides insight into the relative use of CED for different ethnic groups, it has the same limitations as the relative use of force for different ethnic groups as outlined in section 4.4 of this release, and figures should be interpreted with the same level of caution.

Use of force reports where a CED was a tactic involved someone from a Black ethnic group at a rate 4.1 times higher than someone from a White ethnic group in police force areas in England and Wales (excluding the Metropolitan Police), and at a rate 4.5 times higher in the Metropolitan Police force area, when compared with the ONS 2021 Census. These rates were 4.2 and 4.4 respectively in the year ending 31 March 2023.

Reports of CED discharge use (where the CED is fired, used in direct contact mode or used to deliver an angled drive stun) involved someone from a Black ethnic group at a rate 3.5 times higher than someone from a White ethnic group in police force areas in England and Wales (excluding the Metropolitan Police), and at a rate 4.1 higher in the Metropolitan police force area, when compared with the ONS 2021 Census. These rates were both 3.9 in the year ending 31 March 2023.

The Metropolitan Police is the largest police force in England and Wales and therefore had the largest number of CED reports (6,291; 19% of the England and Wales total). It also has a proportionately larger number of people from Asian, Black, Mixed and Other ethnic groups resident within its police force area (46%) compared with the rest of England and Wales (13%) (calculated from the ONS 2021 Census). Table 8 shows the rate of CED discharges and non-discharges for the Metropolitan Police separately from England and Wales.

Table 8: Rate of CED use, by category and ethnicity, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

	Asian (or Asian British)	Black (or Black British)	Mixed ethnic group	White	Other ethnic group
All CED use
England and Wales	0.7	4.4	1.1	1.0	1.4
England and Wales excluding Metropolitan Police	0.8	4.1	1.2	1.0	1.7
Metropolitan Police	0.7	4.5	0.8	1.0	0.9
CED discharges
England and Wales	0.6	3.5	0.8	1.0	1.1
England and Wales excluding Metropolitan Police	0.5	3.5	0.8	1.0	1.4
Metropolitan Police	0.7	4.1	0.7	1.0	0.7
CED non-discharges
England and Wales	0.8	4.5	1.2	1.0	1.4
England and Wales excluding Metropolitan Police	0.8	4.1	1.3	1.0	1.7
Metropolitan Police	0.7	4.5	0.8	1.0	1.0

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics’, April 2023 to March 2024, data table 13; ONS 2021 Census

Notes:

1. Rates for Asian, Black, Mixed and Other ethnic groups are shown relative to the White ethnic group.
2. Where possible, officers recorded self-defined ethnicity as one of the 19 categories defined by the ONS 2021 Census; these were then grouped into the above categories and combined with officer perceived ethnicity for analysis.
3. Excludes BTP.

Separate rates of CED discharges and non-discharges for men aged 18 to 34 were also calculated, as around half (46%) of CED use of force reports involved this group. The rate for men from a Black ethnic group, and aged 18 to 34 was 4.7 times higher than men from a White ethnic group, and aged 18 to 34 in England and Wales. The rate for men aged 18 to 34 for those from an Asian ethnic group was lower than the rate for those from a White ethnic group and the rate for Mixed or Other ethnic groups was similar to the White group.

6.5 Possession of a weapon most common impact factor when CEDs reported

Possession of a weapon was reported as an impact factor in 63% of CED use of force reports, with around half of these incidents involving those aged 18 to 34 (49%).

Figure 14 shows the ages of those involved where use of CED was recorded, and where possession of a weapon was an impact factor. Possession of a weapon was more often an impact factor in CED incidents in the youngest and oldest age groups.

Figure 14: Percentage of use of force reports involving CED use and an impact factor of possession of a weapon, by age group, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, open data table

Notes:

1. Includes BTP.

Possession of a weapon was recorded as an impact factor in:

• 17% of all use of force reports involving people from an Asian or Other ethnic group
• 18% of all use of force reports involving people from a Mixed ethnic group
• 24% of all use of force reports involving people from a Black ethnic group
• 12% of all use of force reports involving people from a White ethnic group

6.6 CED tactics similar across ethnicities for those with a mental health condition

Proportionally, people with a mental health condition (including those with a mental and physical health condition; 20% of all use of force reports; perceived by the officer where not self-reported) were involved in more incidents where a CED tactic was used (23%) and where the CED was discharged (31%).

In use of force reports involving someone with a mental health condition (including those with a mental and physical health condition), CED tactics were used in similar proportions across ethnicities (5% for people from Asian, Mixed, White and Other ethnic groups and 6% for people from a Black ethnic group). By age group, proportions were more varied (0.6% for under 11s, 2% for 11 to 17 year olds, 5% for 18 to 34 year olds, 6% for 35 to 49 year olds and aged 65 and over and 7% for 50 to 64 year olds).

6.7 CED availability

Data on CED availability when force was used was collected for the first time in the year ending 31 March 2024. Official statistics in development show that of the 577,000 (77%) use of force reports where this data was available, 43% of officers were carrying a CED readily available for use. Where a CED was available, it was either drawn, aimed, red-dotted, arced or discharged in 13% of reports (12% non-discharges and 1% discharges). The reporting of this data is expected to improve as data collection processes are established.

7. Incidents by police force area and location

The number of use of force reports in a police forces’ area is influenced by the size of its population and a range of other socioeconomic factors.

7.1 15% of use of force reports reported by Metropolitan Police

The number of use of force reports submitted by each police force ranged from 2,945 in the City of London (0.4% of total reports) to 111,248 in the Metropolitan Police force area (15% of total reports). Cleveland reported the most use of force relative to its population, with 32 reports per 1,000 people, and West Mercia reported the least, with 5 reports per 1,000 people. Whilst the use of force data collection is now well established, its relative infancy means that it is likely that the recording of use of force data is still improving in some forces.

Figure 15: Use of force reports per 1,000 people, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 12; ONS Population estimates for England and Wales: mid-2023

Notes:

1. City of London are not shown due to the small resident population of the area relative to the transient or visiting population.
2. Excludes BTP.

7.2 Absolute and relative rate of use of force by ethnicity varied by police force area

The national rates of use of force by ethnicity do not reflect the difference in ethnic diversity across individual police force areas. For example, police force areas with a relatively low number of use of force reports involving those from a particular ethnic group can have a relatively high rate of use of force for this group, if the population for the ethnic group is small. Conversely, police forces with a relatively high number of use of force reports involving those from a particular ethnic group can have a relatively low rate of use of force for this group, if they make up a larger proportion of the population.

Figure 16 shows the rate and relative rate of use of force reports for those from a Black ethnic group for individual police forces.

Figure 16: Use of force rate per 1,000 people and relative rates for Black individuals, by police force area, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, open data table; ONS 2021 Census

Notes:

1. City of London are not shown due to the small resident population of the area relative to the transient or visiting population.
2. Labels are shown for police force areas with rates at the lower and upper end of the scale.
3. Excludes BTP.

7.3 Location of use of force varied by tactic type

Nearly half (46%) of use of force reports included a street or highway as the location (345,581 use of force reports). A street or highway was the most common location across all tactics, apart from shield which more commonly included a dwelling (38%) or custody block (33%) as a location.

The use of less lethal weapons and firearms were recorded predominantly in a street or highway location (47%) and dwellings (38%).

Figure 17: Top 5 locations for using force, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 9

Notes:

1. Figure 17 shows the 5 most common locations only.
2. Where multiple tactics and locations are reported, it is not possible to identify the location in which each tactic was used.
3. Includes BTP.

7.4 12% of use of force reports included custody block location

Custody block was listed as a location in 12% (89,109) of use of force reports. Twenty-five per cent of use of force reports involving a custody block also included additional locations, so it does not necessarily follow that all tactics used in the incident were used within the custody block.

Table 9 compares total tactics used in all locations with those that included custody block as a location.

Table 9: Proportion of tactics used in all locations by type and those with custody block listed, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2024

	Total tactics reported	Custody block reported as a location
Restraint	62%	51%
Unarmed skills	24%	36%
Other equipment	4%	4%
Less lethal weapons	3%	0.3%
Firearms	0.6%	0.01%
Other	6%	8%

Source: Home Office ‘Police use of force statistics, April 2023 to March 2024’, data table 9

Notes:

1. Tactics have been grouped - see the data tables for groupings.
2. Incidents with custody block listed as a location may also include additional locations.
3. Includes BTP.

Incidents in which custody block was listed as a location (but not necessarily the only location) featured a higher proportion of unarmed skills (36%) compared with use of force incidents overall (24%).

Restraint tactics, less lethal weapons and firearms were proportionately less likely to be used in custody blocks compared with use of force incidents overall. See data table 9 for further information.

8. Injuries

Officers record if they or the person involved in the use of force incident were injured as a result of the use of force.

Injury level is recorded in the following categories:

Minor

An injury which may require some simple first aid but does not meet the definition of severe.

Severe

A fracture, deep cut, deep laceration or an injury causing damage to an internal organ or the impairment of any bodily function. In addition, an injury which may, after initial assessment at hospital, require formal admission to hospital.

8.1 Officer injury recorded in 3% of use of force reports

Of the 747,396 use of force reports, 24,295 (3%) reported injury to the officer. Of the 24,295:

• 82% (19,913) were minor injuries
• 2% (415) were severe injuries
• 16% (3,967) had no injury level recorded

A full breakdown is provided in data table 10.

Separately, officers recorded whether they were assaulted during the incident in which force was used in, and whether they were injured as a result of the assault.

Of the 747,396 use of force reports, 47,467 (6%) reported that the officer was assaulted during the incident in which force was used. Of these, 14,761 (31%) resulted in injury to the officer.

8.2 4% of use of force involved injury to person

Of the 747,396 use of force reports, 4% (31,900) involved injury to the person experiencing the use of force. This compares with 4% (29,104) in the year ending 31 March 2023. Of the 31,900:

• 91% (29,063) were minor injuries (92% in the previous year)
• 2% (488) were severe injuries (2% in the previous year)
• 7% (2,349) had no injury level recorded (6% in the previous year)

Under the Police Reform Act 2002, police forces in England and Wales have a statutory duty to refer all incidents involving a death or serious injury to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for consideration. The IOPC will determine whether it is necessary to investigate and who should carry out the investigation. Some matters are investigated by police forces and some are investigated by the IOPC. The IOPC report on deaths during or following police contact provides more comprehensive information.

9. Developments, feedback and enquiries

Developments to the year ending 31 March 2024 police use of force statistics include:

• data on ethnicity and health condition as defined by the person who experienced the use of force was collected separately for the first time; officer perceived ethnicity and health condition were reported where this was not available (38% of use of force reports included self-defined ethnicity and 20% included self-defined health condition; reporting is expected to improve as recording practices become more established)
• data on officer assault during the incident where force was used, that did not result in injury, was collected for the first time; previously data on assault was only captured if it resulted in injury to the officer
• data to enable an estimate to be made of the number of people who experienced police use of force (rather than the number of use of force reports) was collected for the first time; whilst some police forces were able to provide high quality data, many forces were not - when data quality and coverage improves, it will be possible to include this estimation in the statistics in future
• more detailed data on the type of CED firings was included for the first time - including a breakdown of the number of firings that were single firings, multiple firings or extended discharges
• data on CED availability was collected for the first time to better understand the proportion of situations where a CED was available as a use of force tactic and where it was not; and also to provide a better understanding of the proportion of situations in which a CED was chosen or not chosen to be used

Statistical or public enquiries

Home Office statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly at [email protected] with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing [email protected] or via the OSR website.

Frequency of release: Annual

Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Jenny Bradley

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