Get Info » Stop & Search: Your Rights » What is a stop and search?

This is when a police officer stops you and searches you, your clothes and anything you are carrying.

Only a police officer (not a police community support officer) can search you.

You can only be stopped and searched if a police officer has good reason to suspect you are carrying:

  • drugs, weapons or stolen property; or
  • items which could be used:
    • to commit a crime;
    • to commit an act of terrorism; or
    • to cause criminal damage

This good reason should be based on facts, information or intelligence or could be because of the way you are behaving.

There are times however when police officers can search anyone within a certain area, for example:

  • when there is evidence that serious violence
    could take place there; or
  • where a terrorist threat has been identified.

But the officer should explain this to you and must be searching for items which could be used in connection with violence or terrorism.

Where can I be stopped and searched?

 

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