Supreme Court ruling may change the way officers handle strip searches
By: Jennifer Lee
Updated: April 3, 2012
A recent Supreme Court decision may change the way officers handle strip searches for anyone arrested.
According to the ruling, any person arrested can be strip searched even if they are detained for a minor traffic offense.
Some are saying this may be a violation of privacy.
Depending upon a situation, area correctional facilities say they must need a suspicious reason to conduct a strip search.
But, with the recent ruling, authorities say the state law can change.
After being strip searched for failing to pay a traffic fine, a New Jersey man sued on the grounds that the searches violated his constitutional rights.
Albert Florence claimed there was "no reasonable suspicion" to subject him to a "disgusting" ordeal.
But, justices ruled that giving low-risk inmates a pass puts everybody at a greater risk.
Yet, Florence actually did pay the fine and was arrested by mistake.
"I can list any household item, any controlled substance or weapon. Anything you can possibly imagine, we have found on people," explains Oneida County Undersheriff Robert Swenszkowski.
Oneida County Undersheriff Robert Swenszkowski says he agrees with the recent Supreme Court ruling.
Although there is controversy surrounding the decision, Swenszkowski says it is for the security of the facility.
"It may seem to people to be demeaning or intrusive because you are naked in front of another person. Again, people in this work are professionals. They don't do it to demean someone, they do it for the interest of safety and preserving the integrity of the facility," says Swenszkowski.
It is state law to conduct a strip search if an officer has a reasonable suspicion or the inmate has an intermittent sentence, only coming to jail on weekends.
During a typical strip search, Undersheriff Swenszkowski says they have to check if they have anything in their mouths, armpits and hair, and "they have to bend over and expose their genital areas. There is no physical contact with officers and their inmate," explains Swenszkowski.
