The aim of our audit and assurance review was to follow-up on recommendations made within our Audit and Assurance Review of Stop and Search: Phase 1 report, published in March 2015, and undertake an independent audit of stop and search data.

The results of our Phase 2 review will provide the public and key stakeholders with an update on progress made by Police Scotland and the SPA on recommendations contained in our Phase 1 report. It is essential that the public has confidence in published statistical information which is used to set policing practice and this review seeks to provide independent assurance to Police Scotland, the SPA and the public to inform their assessment of the accuracy of stop and search data.

We mapped and observed Police Scotland’s stop and search scrutiny and audit processes and also assessed the internal and external reporting and governance of Police Scotland’s audit results. In addition, we reviewed a random sample of 600 stop search and seizure records in order to validate the review and audit processes conducted by the National Stop and Search Unit and to test the accuracy of stop and search data held on the national database.