There has been a great deal of research into the use of stop and search powers by the police in the UK, but very little research into the use of the specific power to strip search suspects. Strip searches involve the police requiring suspects to remove more than outer garments if there is reason to believe that they may be concealing something dangerous or incriminating.
Research by the BBC programme 5 Live Investigates in 2016 revealed that this power was being used frequently, but that statistics on its use were not being recorded systematically and that there were a number of examples where the power was apparently being abused. After a Freedom of Information request, only 13 police forces were able to provide statistics. However in those police force areas a total of 113,000 strip searches had been carried out in the previous 3 years, with more than 5,000 of these involving children who were 17 or younger.
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
