REFERENCES:
Chapter Introduction
QUESTION TYPE:
Essay
HAS VARIABLES:
False
KEYWORDS:
BLOOM’S: Apply
CRPR.SAMA.18.07.06 – Understand that the reasonableness of a public college’s or
university’s entry and inspection of dormitory rooms requires balancing the institution’s
responsibility to provide a suitable learning environment against the students’ right not to
have unreasonable searches of their “home.”
61. Why are inventory searches reasonable even without a warrant or probable cause? Identify the special needs satisfied
by inventory searches. What substitutes for probable cause as the objective basis for an inventory search?
Inventory searches are reasonable, even without a warrant or probable cause, because they
are not searches for the purpose of gathering evidence to prosecute a suspect for a crime.
Inventory searches satisfy three special needs not related to searching for evidence of a
crime: (1) to protect owners’ property while it is in police custody; (2) to protect law
enforcement agencies against lawsuits for loss, destruction, or theft of owners’ property; and
(3) to protect law enforcement officers, detained suspects, and offenders from the danger of
hidden bombs, weapons, and illegal drugs.
The presence of routine, department-approved, written procedures by which inventory
searches must be conducted takes the place of probable cause for inventory searches.
Following routine procedure provides some objective basis, because the procedures apply to
all inventory searches. Routine procedures also keep law enforcement officers from searching
on a ruse and from going too far in making the inventory.
CRPR.SAMA.18.07.02 – Know that following routine, department-approved procedures
allows law enforcement to conduct inventory and container searches without probable cause
or warrants to protect the owners’ belongings, to prevent lawsuits against law enforcement
departments, and to protect law enforcement agents.
62. Identify four characteristics all special needs searches have in common.
Special needs searches have these characteristics in common:
1. They are directed at people generally, not at criminal suspects specifically.
2. They can result in prosecution and conviction.
3. They don’t require a warrant for probable cause.
4. Their reasonableness depends on balancing the special government need against invasion
of individual privacy.