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Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Act 2014

Detention and supervision of persons posing very high risk of imminent serious sexual or violent offending - Management of residents - Searches

66: Use of dogs for searching

You could also call this:

"Police can use dogs to help search you, but the dogs must be controlled and you must be treated with respect."

Illustration for Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Act 2014

When you are being searched, the person searching you might have a dog with them to help with the search. The dog must be under the control of the person searching you, or someone who is helping them with the search, like a police officer. The person in charge of the dog must make sure it does not touch you.

When a dog is used to search you, the person searching you must be respectful and make sure you are treated with dignity. They must do the search in a way that is decent and sensitive, and makes you feel as respected as possible. You can find more information about this by looking at the related law from 2004.

The person searching you wants to make sure the search is done properly, so they will follow these rules to ensure your safety and dignity. They will make sure the dog is used in a way that helps with the search, but does not put you in harm's way. The search will be done in a way that respects you and your rights.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6050223.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Police and safety
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65: Authority to search property, or

"Police can search you and the things you're carrying if they have permission"

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67: Taking and inspecting items appearing to be prohibited, or

"Checking items that might not be allowed"

Part 1Detention and supervision of persons posing very high risk of imminent serious sexual or violent offending
Management of residents: Searches

66Use of dogs for searching

  1. In exercising any power of search conferred by this Act, the residence manager, a staff member of the residence, or a corrections officer conducting the search may have with him or her, and use for the purposes of searching, any dog.

  2. Any dog used for searching must be under the control of—

  3. the residence manager, a staff member of the residence, or a corrections officer conducting the search; or
    1. any other person (being a constable, an officer of Customs, or any member of the Armed Forces) who may accompany the person conducting the search for the purposes of that search.

      1. When a dog is used for the purposes of searching any person, the person who has control of the dog must not allow that dog to come into physical contact with the person being searched.

      2. The residence manager, staff member of the residence, or corrections officer who uses a dog for the purposes of searching a person must conduct the search with decency and sensitivity and in a manner that affords to the person being searched the greatest degree of dignity consistent with the purpose of the search.

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