I guess I need to be more thourough...

[CXT_180]

Today in Criminal Procedure, my instructor asked the class if anyone in the room had any LE experiance. Myself and one other raised our hands, unsure of why he was asking this. He comes up to my desk and says "What was your first name again"
"Stu"
"Since we are doing Terry vs. OH today, would you mind coming up in front of the class and stopping and frisking me?"
"No I guess not"

So I get up in front of the class...
"Where do you work then Stuart?"
"I work for the University Police Department here at USD"
"hmm."
The professor then does his best to look like a thug, putting on a big heavy coat and hat. He then gives me the Ok to start the encounter. Through the encounter, he is very verbally uncooperative and such (no big surprise) and I am as professional as can be. I do a very thourough pat down of his upper body then a cursory search of his legs. After I told him he could be on his way and to have a nice night. I turn and go to my desk. BANG!
"Stuart, I hope you are wearing a vest because I just shot you in the back with my gun."
He shows me a *tiny* (about two inches long, .5 inch wide) gun he had in his sock inside his shoe.
I felt like a complete a s s.
"So do you have any training in search and seizure/"
"Not really" I mumble. (I had about a five minute run through, I haven't been to the academy yet)
Anyway, if this had been a street encounter, I'd be dead. We don't get ballistic vests. (We have to buy our own, or just go w/o).
I still feel a little retarded here and wanted to vent.

[FutureSLPD]

I know this is kind of off but we found that out the hardway in my explore class...we checked this guy whos in academy and he has a little gun in his sock and he had sandals...thank GOD i learned that ahead of time...

[vadep]

Be glad it happened now, in training. I would be willing to bet, the next time you search someone you will be completely thorough. Though it sucks, and you're frustrated, learn from it & try not make the same mistake twice. Any cop who tells you that they've never missed anything on a pat down is full of it. It happens, but the key is to only let it happen once. Keep your head up, nobody learns everything overnight!

[Scubapro]

Were you embarassed? GOOD! Will you ever forget to check very close around the shoe? I should hope not. I am all for you teacher's tactics. Here is another thing. You actually helped someone in your class learn the same leason you learned. because you can bet no one wants to be the one called up and make the same mistake you just made. ;)

[Samuel]

Poor searching technique or unthorough searches is one of the 'Top Ten Reasons Experienced Lawmen Are Killed'. Have I missed things before? Probably, but (knock on wood), if I have, it hasn't bitten me YET. You should always search with the attitude that the subject HAS something (or more) that he's challenging you to find. It's amazing to see some of the things that arresting and/or booking officers sometimes miss.

[dwf]

There's a saying and I've been wracking my brain trying to recall it exactly but just can't remember it precisely. The gist of it though:

Search as if you expect to find something, and when you find it, search for the next item.

Our academy search practice, was digging around for paper clips. I still search for the paper clip.

[Island_Girl]

Wow, what an experience!! I'm glad it impacted you so much, enough for you to share it with us. This means you probably won't let it happen again. But don't beat yourself up over it, you said it yourself, you haven't been to the academy yet. I'm sure you'll be the first in your academy class to raise your hand when they call for a volunteer though (LMAO). Keep this as a valuable lesson, you just became a better cop. Good luck in the academy CXT....you'll do just fine.

[TalkingCop]

I had a similair scenario when I was in the academy, only my perps gun was hidden up under the family jewels, and of course I missed it. When the instructor pulled out a derringer and "shot" me I learned a really good lesson, you got to grab dem jewels!

Dont feel to bad about what happend, sure it bruised your ego a bit, but in the end, it made you a smarter officer.

[Stump]

Do you guys always call a female officer to search a female? And does it work the opposite way too? I know we call for chicks to search chicks, but I have never had a female cop call for a male officer.....

CXT - thanks for sharing that story. You never know - you could save a life someday by telling some of the wanna-be-cops that!!! :D

[vadep]

Stump,

I very rarely, if ever, call for a female to search a female. It's no different to me than searching a male. I search the same way I do for every person I arrest, which is usually done at the hood of my car, directly in front of the camera.

[Dan]

The college actually let him bring the gun on campus?:confused:

[Jynkxxie]

Hey CXT, I am sure you probably know this but I will throw it in anyway. Be sure to look for keys, (for handcuffs) hidden in the socks, or on the belt, behind the buckle. Just another thing the perps may try to hide from you. I read this in a recent article in Police Mag.

Anyway, I can understand how you feel. But learn from this, as a hopefull, I have learned today from you. Be glad that it happened where it did.

Stump, just throwing my two cents in here. I asked the same question about a female officer doing searches on a male once. I was told bluntly that my co-workers would think that I was a woose if I called another (male) officer to assist me. It's not that I would have a problem doing it myself, but I just thought that if they took those kind of liability percautions with women, why wouldn't they with men? I didn't get an answer to my question. So I guess that makes female officers liability free eh? I make sure to stay in front of the camera.

[CXT_180]

Originally posted by Dan
The college actually let him bring the gun on campus?:confused:

Do you always call a female officer to search a female subject?

It was a fake gun Dan.

Stump- here it depends on the situation or the type of search it is. If there is a female officer available, we usually have her come if it's possible. As for gals searching guys, it doesn't seem to be as big a deal IMO, so generally not.

Thanks all for the tips and support.--I appreicate them. I was discussing this on the midnight shift last night with my partner, and he said "At least you learn from you mistakes."
"It's ok to make them in training and at the Academy, that's why you go there, to make mistakes and learn from them so you are better in field situations."

I agree. I'm glad that it happened in a classroom, with a toy gun, instead of on the street with a real one.
As for searching for handcuff keys, our instructor made that a key point, to search for the keys, and to get the cuffs on tight, and double lock them if possible. Thanks again, I really appreciate support from those who understand the situation.

[Fin]

Let it be a learning experience for you. I had a similar experience on a patrol ride a few months back while searching an individual we had detained for questioning (nothing serious, like getting shot). We had similar experiences in our officer survival, search & transport, & warrant classes. I was able to get away from a mock traffic stop where me & another classmate were playing badguy and 'kill' several of my classmates before the excercise was stopped (they never got close enough for a pat down). Learn in the classroom & in training, & put that knowledge to use on the street;)

[FutureSLPD]

It a reality police show that comes on called "Protect & Serve" on the learning channel and it said it is illegal for a male to search a female.:eek: