Columbia Police officers are now using a ‘consent to search’ form
UPDATE: Starting today Columbia Police Officers will use the ‘consent to search’ form when searching your car.
ORIGINAL: Columbia Police Officers will soon need you to fill out a ‘consent to search’ form to have permission to search your car if they don’t have a warrant or probable cause.
Police Chief Ken Burton spoke about the new policy saying he wants to make if clear that drivers can say ‘no’ to have their car searched.
Chief Burton says it’s also important for the public to be “educated on how to respond to police officers.”
Current policy allows officers to search vehicles with the drivers verbal permission. Otherwise in order to search a car they need to have probable cause or a warrant signed by a judge.
Dale Roberts with the Columbia Police Officers association says the new policy will add another layer of evidence going to court.
“In some cases if someone gives permission and something is found, and they later want to say well I didn’t give the officer permission, this should eliminate those situations,” Roberts says.
ABC 17 News has reached out to Columbia Police Department to see when the new policy will be enforced, we will update you when we hear back.
