Page 26 - Argyle Police Officer Field Training Tips

Vehicle searches

Vehicle searches are not difficult, but it is important to follow a routine. Following a routine will help
prevent you from missing anything a spot due to an interruption and can keep you safe. For example,
the driver’s side of the suspect vehicle is going to be very close to the fog line in most situations. The fog
line will be the only thing between you and the lane of traffic. While it’s not uncommon to have an
officer posted as a lookout behind the vehicle you will be searching, you have to remember that if a
4000 Lb. vehicle gets close enough to strike you, your back up officer will not be able to stop the moving
vehicle. Therefore, you want to limit the amount of time you spend searching from the driver’s side. We
typically train new officers to begin their search at the front passenger’s side and work their way around
the vehicle in a clockwise manner. However, search as much as you can from the passenger’s side of the
vehicle since that side is furthest away from moving traffic. This is a logical routine that will work for
most cases.

However, in situations where you are searching a vehicle based on consent, you should search the areas
where you are most likely to find contraband the quickest. This will typically be in the most accessible
compartments such as the center console, the glove compartment, and the under the driver’s seat. The
reason for following this approach is that you want to turn the consent search into a probable cause
search as soon as possible.

Pg. 25 POLICE FIELD TRAINING CONCEPTS