Police Powers- Limits and Powers

Question	Answer
To Search a person	If the police have reasonable grounds on which to search somebody, for example if they believe that they are in possession of or their vehicle contains: - Stolen goods. - Prohibited items, eg. drugs or a weapon. -Items intended to be used in illegal activity.
Clothing	Police can remove outer coats, gloves and jackets from the person. However they can not remove any head gear or shoes in public, as to retain as much dignity to the offender as possible.
Force	The police are allowed to use as much force as they view as necessary and reasonable when attempting to detain an offender.
Thorough Searches	The police can carry out more thorough searches as long it is out of the view of the public. However they must have the consent of the offender to take an intimate sample.
Code A	This states that the; -Ethnicity -Age -Colour -Hairstyle -Manner of Dress -Known previous convictions Can not be used as the sole basis on which to search without reliable supporting intelligence or information or some specific behaviour by the concerned person.
Officers Must	In order for the search to be lawful, officers have to; - Give a reason for the search. -Identify themselves and their station. -Make a written record of the search and give the suspect a copy. For example in the case of R vs Osman. Searches in public view can't involve the removal of footwear or religious/cultural headgear.

Resource summary

	Created by thornamelia about 10 years ago