Editor’s note: This series of articles is intended to be used as quick topic discussions at the beginning of any meeting. They are meant to create discussion among your teams and to get your officers thinking on their feet about training topics, in order to encourage learning and training.
During intake search procedure, you are looking for cuff-key sized items, which can be used to unlock handcuffs.
90 percent area: the crotch and waist, this is where contraband is hidden
90 percent area: under and between the breasts of a female
- Frisk searches of detainees will be conducted by a deputy of the same gender.
- Deputy will run hand under shirt collar and down upper part of each arm to wrists, bring hands back along undersides of arms to armpits.
- Deputy will sweep hands down shirt to belt, run thumbs around inside of waistband from front to back, sweep hands down the spine from shirt collar to the waist.
- Run hands down the front of legs to the tops of the feet and up back side of legs
- Examine shoes and socks thoroughly.
- A female deputy will run thumbs under bra straps from back to front, under bottom of bra from hooks in back, on both sides to front. Pull center of bra forward to dislodge any items in bra.
Field/ Terry Frisk Search: Looking for things that can hurt you, small knives, impact weapons- monkey fist, guns-
Jail/ (Small group of detainees on the wall) Search: Groin area and waistband--Looking for cuff-key sized objects, paper clips, staples etc.
Do pat downs for your own safety not with an eye to the cameras. If you do a poor job searching the crotch or groin area, you should have skipped it entirely, because it doesn’t count as a search at all.
