Page 222 - North Carolina 2020 Legal Guide
P. 222
Community Caretaking Search of Vehicle
• Officer must be able to articulate a reason to suspect that a vehicle
contains a dangerous item, which, if left unattended in the vehicle,
would pose a threat to public safety.
• Scope of Search would be limited to the size of the item for which
there is a reasonable belief and the information known to the officer
with respect to any specific location, if identified, within the vehicle
of the item.
• Articulate through the use of the officer’s senses (sight, hearing,
touch, smell, taste) the facts and circumstances supporting the
reason to suspect the dangerous item is in the vehicle.
©2020 Jack Ryan Legal & Liability Risk Management Institute 221