Editor’s Note: In PoliceOne “First Person” essays, our Members and Columnists candidly share their own unique view of the world. This is a platform from which individual officers can share their own personal insights on issues confronting cops today, as well as opinions, observations, and advice on living life behind the thin blue line. This week’s essay comes from PoliceOne Member Peter Assenmacher, a patrol Sergeant with the Lower Merion Township (Penn) PD. Do you want to share your own perspective with other P1 Members? Send us an e-mail with your story.
By Sgt. Peter Assenmacher
Lower Merion Township (Penn.), Police Department
Over the past ten years I’ve worked to eradicate the ‘Pat Down’ from being used by officers on the street. You may be thinking ‘Pat Downs’ are a vital to law enforcement.
No, ‘Pat Downs’ are not — searches are.
Here is my issue. As I was watching a news clip of airport security agents searching a passenger, they were using an ineffective pat down to search passengers. It is ineffective because, in my experience, officers conducting ‘Pat Downs’ miss areas of the person that can hide or conceal contraband. In today’s day and age with terrorists concealing PETN explosives in their shorts, can any of us afford to practice ineffective search techniques?
The problem is officers tend to literally pat along the body as they search. It is the technique that is the problem. This technique skips portions of the body anywhere from one to three inches at a time. What can be concealed in that skipped area? Virtually every law enforcement officer has seen the results of ineffective searches – missed drugs, knives, razors, lighters etc… Now we must concern ourselves with liquid explosives.
The phrase ‘Pat Down’ likely originated with Terry v. Ohio where we as law enforcement officers were given the authority to search an individual for weapons when we have the reasonable suspicion that the person was armed (in a nutshell).It is still a search, limited in scope, but a search. Many officers developed the habit of ‘patting down’ a subject and carried that practice over to all searches of arrestees. This ‘patting’ technique minimizes the feel that is essential in an effective search.
It seems that over time the term ‘Pat Down’ has mutated into the physical patting of the subjects we are searching in most cases. If justified in searching someone because there is suspicion they are concealing a weapon, be effective in the search of the area in question (it is my opinion they must be handcuffed first). You are permitted to touch the area to determine if the object is in fact a weapon for officer safety. There are many items that are relatively small that can be used to hurt a police officer. Be thorough and complete, your safety depends on it.
When searching subjects in custody, you must be extremely thorough because you never know what may be concealed — police officers have seen almost everything concealed on the bodies of people whom they arrest. Develop a routine and use it each and every time you conduct a custodial search to minimize the possibility of missing secreted items. Slow down and don’t allow complacency or nervousness lead to an ineffective search. Know the difference in scope of searches; custodial searches versus Terry searches.
Always be thorough in your search and pay attention.
As always, be safe.
Pete Assenmacher has been a police officer in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, since 1990. Currently he is a patrol sergeant assigned to operations. He also serves as a certified instructor in firearms, less-lethal weapons, handcuffing, and various tactics. Since, 1996, he has been a member and lead instructor of the SWAT team. Sergeant Assenmacher is a member of ILEETA, IALEFI, and the NTOA.
