Economic Inequality and the Spatial Distribution of Stop and Search: Evidence from London

Abstract We analyse the spatial concentration of stop and search (S&S) practices. Previous work argues that persistent reliance on S&S, despite weak to null deterrent effects crime, results from a social order maintenance motivation part police. Expanding previous studies focused who tends be stopped searched by police officers, we focus where S&S concentrates investigate role economic inequality. use data London in 2019 demonstrate novel measure salient, spatially granular inequality is positively associated with incidence at small scale, even when controlling for crime rates other important variables. Police officers more frequently members public places well-off economically precarious co-exist. Implications understanding as tool distinguishes between citizens, those protect potential criminals, are discussed.