Black people in Kent are over four times more likely to be arrested than white people, new figures show.

Civil lobbying charity Liberty, which campaigns for justice and equality, accused the police of acting unjustly towards ethnic minorities and called on the Government to reduce police powers.

A Kent Police spokesperson has said that the police force “does not discriminate on the grounds of someone’s race or any other protected characteristic” and that it “works hard to build lasting relationships with the diverse communities that make up our county.”

Home Office figures show 450 arrests of black people were made in Kent in 2020-21.

This equated to an estimated 19.7 arrests per 1,000 black people in the area, based on population figures from the 2011 census.

In contrast, there were just 4.7 arrests per 1,000 white people, meaning a black person was 4.2 times more likely to be arrested.

Arrest rates were up on 2019-20, before the coronavirus pandemic, when 11.8 arrests per 1,000 black people and 2.9 per 1,000 white people were made.

Chief Superintendent Amanda Tillotson from Kent Police says that an arrest can only be made when there are reasonable grounds to suspect someone is involved in a crime for which their detention is necessary.

She added: “In the vast majority of cases this is after they have already been identified as committing an offence, for example through eyewitness testimony or evidence captured at the scene of a crime.”

Across England and Wales, black people were 3.3 times more likely to be arrested than white people in 2020-21.

Emmanuelle Andrews, policy and campaigns manager at Liberty, said the figures "highlight the injustices that black communities face across the criminal justice system".

Ms Andrews said: "The police should not be handed more powers, and their existing ones must be rolled back."

But the Home Office says "more is being done in policing than ever before to ensure everyone is treated fairly and without prejudice".

A spokesperson added: "We now have the most diverse police force in history and have extensive safeguards in place to hold the police accountable."

Habib Kadiri, research and policy manager at StopWatch, an anti-stop and search charity, said the racial disparity in arrests is "symptomatic of an attitude that excuses the disproportionate targeting of black people under the guise that they are more likely to be involved in violence and drug crime".

Mr Kadiri also raised concerns regarding racial disparity in stop and search rates.

"The persistent racial disparity in stop and searches demonstrates the degree to which the misuse of frontline policing powers is institutionalised," he added.

Separate Home Office figures show there were 52.6 stop and searches for every 1,000 black people across England and Wales in 2020-21.

This is compared to just 7.5 per 1,000 white people, meaning a black person is more than seven times more likely to be stopped.

In Kent, 39.6 stop and searches per 1,000 black people were carried out, compared to 6.2 per 1,000 white people.

Chief Superintendent Amanda Tillotson from Kent Police claims that police officers are given clear guidance on the appropriate use of stop-and-search powers to ensure all encounters are “fair and proportionate.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Every knife taken off our streets is a potential life saved, with 16,000 dangerous weapons removed from the streets and almost 81,000 arrests made last year because of stop and search.

"No one should be stopped because of their race, but tragically data shows that young black men are disproportionately more likely to be the victims of knife crime."

Chief Superintendent Amanda Tillotson, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Kent Police, said: “Kent Police officers do not discriminate on the grounds of someone’s race or any other protected characteristic and as a force we work hard to build lasting relationships with the diverse communities that make up our county.

“An arrest can only be made when there are reasonable grounds to suspect someone is involved in a crime for which their detention is necessary.

“In the vast majority of cases this is after they have already been identified as committing an offence, for example through eyewitness testimony or evidence captured at the scene of a crime.

“Officers are also given clear guidance on the appropriate use of stop-and-search powers to ensure all encounters are fair and proportionate, and these are scrutinised every three months by an Independent Police Advisory Group whose members are drawn from diverse communities and ensure the decision-making behind each stop is justified.

“Furthermore, a suspect is only arrested following a stop-and-search if they are found to have committed an offence such as possession of a weapon or controlled drug.

“It is also important to note that stop-and-search is an invaluable tool in the fight against county lines drug dealing, resulting in the arrests of a significant number of people who travel into Kent from London.

“This means the number of arrests cannot be accurately compared to the 2011 Census data, which also does not take into account Kent’s position as the gateway to Europe with a large number of non-Kent residents passing through.

“We at Kent Police remain committed to treating everyone with fairness, respect and dignity – irrespective of who they are.

“This approach is fundamental to ensuring we are legitimate in the eyes of the public and have the trust and confidence of our communities.”

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