Video emerges of woman 911 caller forcefully strip searched in police custody

Originally posted by SpaceBits

I agree and sorry for your embarrasment, but you see medical perfessionals are trained in those area's. Male officer's are not trained to strip woman nor are they trained proffessionaly on the female body. As males I think they are more than qualified to search a male though.

Errm, only some of the people were in the room for me.
There was another lady in the next bed, ya know.
It was all very informal, but a real shocker for me seeing as how I was/am modest in that regard.
It's weird having total strangers walk by when you're in such compromising positions.

Here's a little sample of the sort of things that cops do in my region.

Rape suspect cop out of jail
Ulster jury fails to reach verdict in cop's rape trial

And I thought this was interesting as well.

reply to post by intrepid

May I ask a question here? Well, maybe more than one. What about the CO that's putting his/her body on the line every day to keep inmates. What do you think about those that get their shoulders torn out by inmates? Can't throw a football or baseball with Jimmy anymore. What about the sacrifices they make for society?

It's their choice. I'm not saying the job isn't hard or dangerous, but I've seen way too many perps take a beating they did not deserve.

Originally posted by intrepid
May I ask a question here? Well, maybe more than one. What about the CO that's putting his/her body on the line every day to keep inmates. What do you think about those that get their shoulders torn out by inmates? Can't throw a football or baseball with Jimmy anymore. What about the sacrifices they make for society?

I'm not saying this action was right but few here seem to understand the jail environment. It's damn dangerous.

I totaly have respect for anyone that will step up to the plate to protect and serve. It's a dangerouse job with little to no benefit. But this still does not allow for one to break rules or laws or even protocals... there there for all our protection.

I also still consider inmates as people, bad people, but still people. So why do those who are suposed to protect and serve see anyone as anything but a person?

reply to post by jackinthebox


Pretty intense. What does it have to do with this case? I see no similarities. The back of a cop car has little in common with a holding cell where the cameras are rolling.

Originally posted by jackinthebox
It's their choice. I'm not saying the job isn't hard or dangerous, but I've seen way too many perps take a beating they did not deserve.

When? And where please?

I think what Intrepid is trying to say is,
PLEASE DON'T STEREOTYPE!
I totally sympathize with him on that.
Two wrongs will never equal a right.
That only works in math.

Originally posted by seawolf197
Nothing, nothing this woman did in this situation could have warranted the officer's behavior.

A star for your excellent post. And no, NOTHING that woman did would have required that much force to restrain her, had they not been ripping her clothes off while she screamed. People are going to say , "the woman is resisting arrest, look at her struggling and fighting the cops"... despite the outcry of common sense : She is a WOMAN... she is 'struggling and fighting' because they're tearing her clothes off

So apparently it is civil disobedience to struggle against having your clothes ripped off. What an age we live in. 100 years ago a man would kill another person for imposing himself on his wife like that. The best we can do now is take the pigs to court.

Originally posted by SpaceBits
So why do those who are suposed to protect and serve see anyone as anything but a person?

Most are repeat offenders, manipulative. They'll do their time, get out, reoffend, against you guys(society btw) and be back in the care of the State. That's jail guys. It isn't pretty but it's the way it is. Would you rather have them living the free life in your neighborhood?

Sorry if this has already been asked/answered, there are a lot of pages to this thread and I'm not really up for going through them all, but how did the police justify this very brutal strip search?

I am usually very ready to give the police the benefit of the doubt in most situations, as they are trained professionals that we put our trust in to keep us safe. But, I just can't see what warranted this

This lady was in absolute hysterics! Could they seriously not have atleast stopped what they were doing, sat her down and atleast calmed her and tried to explain why/what they were doing?

Granted, we didn't see the start of the video where the lady may have been acting violently or something. But I can't imagine what she could have possibly said or done for SEVEN police officers to strip her naked. Even if she had proudly proclaimed that she had a knife, 3 guns and 11 syringes in her underwear, the police should not have acted like this.

That poor lady would have been humilated, hurt both physically and emotionally and will probably never ever trust the police again, and for what?

Also, why did they film it?

Originally posted by intrepid
Most are repeat offenders, manipulative.
...
That's jail guys. It isn't pretty but it's the way it is.

We seem to be heading into a scary thread of thought here now...

Are we to assume that anybody dragged into jail for the flimsiest suspicion should expect a thorough strip and cavity search? Has the county jail house become Guantanamo? Is this what American citizens are being told to accept, even expect from their government?

In that case, we might as well jump the boat and go to another country. This is no longer America.

More pertinetly would be "What's the difference between a prisoner and an arrestee?" If nothing, then we should all be very very good citizens. lol either that, or get used to the idea that as an arrestee you may lose access, temporarily, to almost all of your rights.

Originally posted by Toy_soldier
This lady was in absolute hysterics! Could they seriously not have atleast stopped what they were doing, sat her down and atleast calmed her and tried to explain why/what they were doing?

Actually I heard one of the male cops, who shouldn't have been there, say "Relax" they tried that but as a person that isn't accustomed to "inside" she freaked.

They should really consider training for dealing with first time offenders, and this lady WAS convicted. But if you aren't used to that environment you'd freak too. Those who've been through the system would just go with the flow.

Originally posted by jackinthebox
Here's a little sample of the sort of things that cops do in my region.

Rape suspect cop out of jail
Ulster jury fails to reach verdict in cop's rape trial

By that thread titel I take the cop was not convicted right? I admit Im not up on the UK's or Irelands criminal justice system but it does operate under innocent untill proven guilty right?

reply to post by intrepid


I am merely trying to illuminate the terrain so to speak. There are far too many cases of police authority being used in the most despicable ways, without any consequences. And here we have yet another case, where people have become so desensitized they fail to see how incredibly damaging it is when authority is abused.

I posted the following in another thread

My whole point was that proactive community policing, which was meant to prevent problems from escalating, has been replaced by a militant reactionary force at odds with the needs of the community. Police officers no longer function as a servant of the community, but as a servant of court system profiteering. This is exactly why I turned in my shield. Common sense has gone right out the window.

Which also remind me of this thread:

SWAT officers invade home, take 11 year old at gunpoint.

This case is not isolated. It is part of a disturbing trend toward a fascist police state. The sad part is that the agenda is being carried out by people who still think they're doing the right thing.

Originally posted by NewWorldOver
Are we to assume that anybody dragged into jail for the flimsiest suspicion should expect a thorough strip

Yes, for the protection of the staff and the other inmates. One or two of them might be innocent as well.

and cavity search?

Nope, that's constitutionally unsound. Your point?

reply to post by intrepid

When? And where please?

When? Many time over many years. Where? New York.

Originally posted by undo

Originally posted by SpaceBits

I agree and sorry for your embarrasment, but you see medical perfessionals are trained in those area's. Male officer's are not trained to strip woman nor are they trained proffessionaly on the female body. As males I think they are more than qualified to search a male though.

Errm, only some of the people were in the room for me.
There was another lady in the next bed, ya know.
It was all very informal, but a real shocker for me seeing as how I was/am modest in that regard.
It's weird having total strangers walk by when you're in such compromising positions.

Another way you could look at the situation is that you willing desided to get pregnate and knew that one day you would have to be in uncomfortable position.

Not that I'm mean that in bad way or that that is a womans mentality.

Hope Steffey didnt have any forsite at all as to the consiqence of here call to 911 for help. If she had forsite I really dout she would have made that phone call. It will be one phone call Hope Steffey will never forget. I'm sure its a phone number that she will never dial again either.

If you asked a nurse for some privacy I'm sure one would have pulled the curtains or tried to provide you with privacy since they are suposed to comfort you in this time? Yes this is not right for a woman to give birth out in the open like that, you definatly should have gotten your own delivery room.

reply to post by NewWorldOver

Are we to assume that anybody dragged into jail for the flimsiest suspicion should expect a thorough strip and cavity search? Has the county jail house become Guantanamo? Is this what American citizens are being told to accept, even expect from their government?

Actually, yes. In all seriousness, this is the policy of my county jail and every other one that I know of. They have to search for contraband and remove anything from you that could be used to fashion a weapon, drug paraphanelia, etc.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by Toy_soldier
This lady was in absolute hysterics! Could they seriously not have atleast stopped what they were doing, sat her down and atleast calmed her and tried to explain why/what they were doing?

Actually I heard one of the male cops, who shouldn't have been there, say "Relax" they tried that but as a person that isn't accustomed to "inside" she freaked.

They should really consider training for dealing with first time offenders, and this lady WAS convicted. But if you aren't used to that environment you'd freak too. Those who've been through the system would just go with the flow.

Very true. Though while this rather large, intimidating officer was telling her to relax, he was holding her cuffed hands down and her head, while several other officers forcibly took her clothes off. She was face down and couldn't see what was going on. If it were me then I would most definately be freaking out too, and someone saying "relax" would just seem like empty words to me.

[edit on 3-2-2008 by Toy_soldier]