Searching Tips
b) Crotching is Essential
To all the male officers: don’t let arrestees play the “homo” card on you!.
PRO TIP: Without calling attention to the search, a quick, light, and brief slide up the inner thighs with a slight lift of the twins, will reveal if anything substantial is hidden amongst his family jewels.
Men don’t usually object to such a slight and non-invasive search, even when performed by a female officer (many with have fun with it).
If there is an objection, just make note of it, but do not leave them alone where they can slip the cuffs to the front and access a weapon hidden in their crotch.
Failures to locate handguns or other contraband concealed in an arrestee’s crotch area (largely due to shyness), has resulted in far too many in-custody shootings.
Jockey shorts in male underwear have a built-in front flap pocket that no one seems to use except for hiding contraband.
Story #1: Decades ago, I was teaching a non-firearm prohibited weapons course to some junior police officers. I walked into the classroom in civilian clothing, but I had at least 30 weapons hidden in my clothing on my body. I had everyone collectively search me, one at a time, in a systematic way. When one person was called off, the following student had to take over search pattern where it had been left off. Anytime someone got close to my crotch I feigned a soreness in my leg and moved around or I just halted the search, so that the next party might skip the uncomfortableness of doing a crotch pat down. Only one of the students, Kathy, insisted that my crotch be checked, and she did in fact find a secreted handgun. She still laughs about it with me—I am sure her entire class remembers the importance of conducting thorough body searches, and in particular, that part of the body.
Story #2: In my last year on the job, I brought my recruit to a scene where two males were being detained (but not in handcuffs). I asked the two beat men if the one male who was looking overly nervous at my presence had been thoroughly searched. Apparently, he had been, but reluctant permission was granted for this old-timer to have a second look. I went for his crotch, and he immediately played the “homo card”, so I joint-locked and handcuffed him. Scores of individually wrapped pieces of crack in a plastic bag the size of a hardball was pulled out the front pocket of his jockey underwear. I am sure these beat men left wondering how many other times they were beat at that game and how I knew he was holding…
While talking about searching this general area, also look between the butt cheeks for contraband like knives, drugs, etc.