Police Policy Sparks Outrage Over Intimate Searches
A bombshell report from The Women’s Rights Network (WRN) has exposed a shocking National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) policy allowing officers to conduct intimate searches based on self-identified gender, not biological sex. The controversial rule, already rolled out by numerous police forces, has sparked fears over privacy breaches and safety risks.
Policy Defies Established Laws
The NPCC quietly approved this policy in December 2021, directly challenging the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). Traditionally, intimate searches involving the removal of clothes must be done by officers of the same biological sex, and away from public view. This new move swaps strict sex rules for self-identified gender — a drastic departure from legal norms.
Safety Concerns and Hate Crime Claims
WRN has slammed the policy as dangerous and flawed, demanding it be scrapped immediately. They warn that replacing sex with gender identity in searches threatens the dignity and security of vulnerable individuals.
Even more alarmingly, the report reveals the policy views objections to cross-sex searches, or refusals by officers to perform them, as potential hate crimes or non-crime hate incidents if deemed “discriminatory.”
Widespread Adoption and Furious Backlash
The policy is already in play across the country, with 35 out of 47 police forces either implementing or planning to roll out the new rules. For instance, the West Midlands Police reported 12 officers identifying as the opposite sex back in February 2023.
“It is state-sanctioned sexual assault, and it must not be tolerated,”
— Heather Binning, WRN founder
The NPCC’s stance has deepened a national divide over gender identity, individual rights, and law enforcement. The fight over protecting privacy while respecting transgender rights is intensifying — with many crying foul over what they see as an unsafe and unlawful policy.
