Police officers searched nearly 4,000 people under anti-terrorism measures in 2003, the Northern Ireland Office has revealed. The British army questioned a further 11,000, a significant rise on 2002.
The statistics relate to the Operation of the Terrorism Act 2000.
They have prompted fresh exchanges between Sinn Féin and the SDLP, indicating the sensitivity of policing in the run-up to next month's talks in Kent about the restoration of Stormont and the transfer of justice powers from London.
Figures relating to 2002 show the police stopped and searched 4,706 people during that year while the British army stopped and questioned 8,098 people.
The figures do not indicate whether a person had been stopped more than once in a year. They relate only to the number of recorded instances of people being stopped. Sinn Féin's human rights spokeswoman, Ms Caitriona Ruane, said the combined figures totalled some 14,910 people. "This is a disturbing and shocking statistic," she said.The South Down Assembly member, who has brought the question of her own recent questioning by police to the Police Ombudsman,added: "This picture is far removed from the one continually portrayed by leading SDLP members who endorse this type of repressive policing."
The SDLP's Mr Alex Attwood drew a distinction between the police and British army totals. He said of the police totals: "Fewer than 50 stop-and-search incidents per week is certainly not repressive given ongoing loyalist paramilitary activity and the dissident threat." However, he criticised the incidence of soldiers stopping and questioning citizens.
Mr Attwood said: "The British army figures need to be explained. The PSNI approach has been sensible and reasonable whereas the British army's total is unacceptably high."
He claimed Ms Ruane's comments differed with Mr Gerry Adams's Irish Times article last week. Mr Adams said policing could "form the spine" of a new agreement to break the impasse. "Who talks for Sinn Féin on policing?" Mr Attwood asked.