Women can be strip-searched by trans officers who were born male, say police

[SBFNews]

• Guidelines issued to forces urge chief officers 'to recognise status of transgender colleagues from the moment they transition'
• The policy says it may be 'advisable' to replace officer carrying out search if detainee objects
• But if 'the refusal is based on discriminatory views' it could be 'recorded as a non-hate crime incident'
• The guidance, quietly issued in December, was brought to light by retired Superintendent Cathy Larkman

Female suspects can be strip-searched by police officers who were born male but identify as women – and could be accused of a hate crime if they object, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

New guidelines issued to forces around the country state: 'Chief Officers are advised to recognise the status of Transgender colleagues from the moment they transition, considered to be, the point at which they present in the gender with which they identify.

Thus, once a Transgender colleague has transitioned, they will search persons of the same gender as their own lived gender.'

The controversial advice, issued by the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) — the body representing British police chiefs — says it may be 'advisable' to replace the person carrying out the search if the detainee objects, but adds: 'If the refusal is based on discriminatory views, consideration should be given for the incident [to] be recorded as a non-crime hate incident unless the circumstances amount to a recordable crime.'

The existence of the guidance, which was quietly issued in December, has only come to light following the intrepid work of Cathy Larkman (pictured), a police officer for over 30 years who rose to the rank of superintendent before retiring last year
The existence of the guidance, which was quietly issued in December, has only come to light following the intrepid work of Cathy Larkman, a police officer for over 30 years who rose to the rank of superintendent before retiring last year.

Mrs Larkman, 54, grew increasingly concerned with the declining trust women had in the police following a spate of scandals including the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer.

Last October, responding to fears among some women that they had no option over the sex of the officer searching them, she wrote letters to the College of Policing, the Police Federation and the NPCC seeking clarification that this was not the case.

The mother-of-three, who is being supported by the Women's Rights Network campaign group, knew that under existing law strip-searches had to be carried out by an officer of the same sex.

But she was left 'absolutely gobsmacked' when the NPCC finally released its new guidance to her last week.

Source:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ched-trans-officers-born-male-say-police.html