A new report by The Women’s Rights Network (WRN) has ignited a storm of controversy over a policy endorsed by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) that allows police officers to conduct intimate searches on suspects of the opposite sex if the officer self-identifies with the same “gender” as the individual being searched. The policy, which has already been adopted by numerous police forces, has raised serious concerns about privacy, personal safety, and potential violations of existing legislation.
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According to The Women’s Rights Network, the NPCC approved the policy in December 2021, challenging established norms outlined in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). Instead of relying on the protected characteristic of sex, the policy suggests using self-identified “gender” in searches, a move that contradicts the principles set out in PACE.
