Use of force - Q2 2025-2026 (July - Sep)
Our officers face difficult situations every day.
A thankfully small percentage of these situations will result in the officer having to use force, be it to protect the public, maintain order or keep themselves from harm.
They are extensively trained to use this force proportionately, lawfully and only when it's absolutely necessary.
Please see below for some statistics relating to the period July to September 2025.
Incident Location
Please note there can be more than one incident location per record.
| Incident location | Number of |
| records | |
| Ambulance | 17 |
| Custody Block | 311 |
| Dwelling | 430 |
| Hospital / A and E (non mental health setting) | 59 |
| Licensed Premises | 23 |
| Mental Health Setting | 8 |
| Not Entered | 10 |
| Open ground (e.g. park, car-park, field) | 429 |
| Other | 68 |
| Police station (excluding custody block) | 22 |
| Police vehicle with prisoner handling cage | 3 |
| Police vehicle without prisoner handling cage | 6 |
| Public transport | 6 |
| Retail premises | 25 |
| Sports or event stadia | 0 |
| Street / Highway | 880 |
Impact Factor
Please note there can be more than one impact factor per record
| Impact factor | Number of |
| records | |
| Acute Behavioural Disturbance | 63 |
| Alcohol | 909 |
| Crowd | 120 |
| Drugs | 644 |
| Mental health | 655 |
| None | 180 |
| Not Entered | 7 |
| Other | 222 |
| Possession of a weapon | 264 |
| Prior knowledge | 586 |
| Size/gender/build | 566 |
Reason for Force
Please note there can be more than one reason for force per record.
| Reason for force | Number of |
| records | |
| Effect arrest | 1080 |
| Effect other search | 45 |
| Effect search in custody | 144 |
| Effect stop and search | 241 |
| Not Entered | 7 |
| Other | 66 |
| Prevent escape | 876 |
| Prevent harm | 18 |
| Prevent offence | 439 |
| Prevent self-harm | 227 |
| Protect other officers from violence | 1104 |
| Protect public from violence | 473 |
| Protect self from violence | 1385 |
| Protect subject from violence | 350 |
| Remove handcuffs | 99 |
| Secure evidence | 195 |
Police Force Used
Please note there can be more than one type of force used per record.
| Force Used | Number of |
| records | |
| AEP drawn | 14 |
| AEP used | 3 |
| AEP used (Baton Gun) | 1 |
| Baton drawn | 10 |
| Baton used | 2 |
| CED (Taser) | 114 |
| Compliant handcuffing | 916 |
| Dog bite | 1 |
| Dog deployed | 11 |
| Firearms aimed | 25 |
| Ground restraint | 291 |
| Irritant spray - CS drawn | 5 |
| Irritant spray - CS used | 3 |
| Irritant spray - PAVA drawn | 21 |
| Irritant spray - PAVA used | 27 |
| Limb / Body restraints | 636 |
| Non-compliant handcuffing | 468 |
| Other / improvised | 386 |
| Spit and bite guard | 24 |
| Unarmed skills (including pressure points, strikes, restraints, and take-downs) | 625 |
Neighbourhood Policing Team area
| NPT | Number of |
| records | |
| Chippenham Response Hub | 231 |
| Devizes Response Hub | 93 |
| Salisbury Response Hub | 218 |
| Trowbridge Response Hub | 424 |
| Swindon Response Hub | 1021 |
Police Physically Injured
| Police Physically Injured | Number of |
| records | |
| I was not injured or assaulted | 2065 |
| I was not injured but was assaulted | 77 |
| I was injured as a result of assault | 14 |
| I was injured but not as a result of assault | 26 |
| Not Entered | 31 |
Subject Injured as a Result of Force Used
A subject can be injured by more than one Officer
| Subject Injured as a result of Force Used | Number of |
| records | |
| No subject was not injured | 2027 |
| Yes subject injured during the use of force | 127 |
| Yes subject injured but not during the use of force | 2 |
| Unknown | 51 |
Gender of Subject
| Gender | Number of |
| distinct individuals | |
| Male | 893 |
| Female | 192 |
| Unknown | 17 |
Self-Defined Race of Subject
| Self Defined Race | Number of |
| distinct individuals | |
| Arab or Other Ethnic Group | 13 |
| Asian or Asian British | 25 |
| Black or Black British | 45 |
| Mixed | 31 |
| White | 694 |
| Not Stated | 290 |
Age of Subject
| Age | Number of |
| distinct individuals | |
| 0 - 10 | 2 |
| 11 - 17 | 164 |
| 18 - 34 | 462 |
| 35 - 49 | 346 |
| 50 - 64 | 110 |
| 65 and over | 16 |
| Not Entered | 3 |