NCJ Number
248404
Date Published
December 1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The International Association of Chiefs of Police's (IACP's) National Law Enforcement Policy Center presents its Model Policy for Strip and Body Cavity Searches, including the policy's purpose, content, definition, and procedures for implementation, along with a related Concepts and Issues Paper.
Abstract
The purpose of this policy is "to provide officers with guidelines for determining if and under what conditions the use of strip searches and body cavity searches are legally permissible and to establish guidelines for the appropriate conduct of such searches." Recognizing the intrusiveness of such searches on individual privacy, the policy states that such searches shall be conducted "only with proper authority and justification, with the recognition that deference for the human dignity of those being searched and in accordance with the procedural guidelines for conducting such searches as set forth in this policy." A "strip search" is defined as "any search of an individual requiring the removal or rearrangement of some or all clothing to permit the visual inspection of any or all skin surface, including genital areas, breasts, and buttocks." A body cavity search is defined as "any search involving not only visual inspection of skin surface but the internal physical examination of body cavities and, in some instances, organs such as the stomach cavity." In outlining the procedures for strip searches, the model policy lists the conditions under which a strip search is appropriate for persons arrested for a minor nonviolent offense. Procedures for strip searches also pertain to the field strip searches of prisoners, documented requests for authority to conduct a strip search, and the required training and privacy (location and persons authorized to be present during the search). Similar procedures are addressed for body-cavity searches.