Trans police officers who carry out strip searches 'should have gender ID papers'

During an appearance before the Commons' Home Affairs Committee yesterday, the Croydon South MP confirmed he asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council to review its guidance.

Philp wants to ensure transgender officers may only search someone of their current sex if they have a gender recognition certificate.

He told MPs: “The Pace [Police and Criminal Evidence Act] codes that govern, stop and search and strip search in particular are very clear that those should be conducted by someone of the same sex.

"I am also very clear that for reasons particularly of women’s safety, that means someone of the same born biological sex or in possession of a formal court authorised gender recognition certificate.

“We have asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council to look at their guidance, again, with this in mind and to make sure it is compliant with the relevant Pace code.”

Philp was addressing MPs after the Women’s Rights Network revealed at least 34 out of the 43 police forces in England and Wales had a policy to allow transgender officers who were biologically male to carry out strip searches of women.

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The WRN's founder Heather Binning also argued male officers claiming to be women were now sanctioned under the policy to strip and intimately search women.

She said: “Too many organisations, including the police, have been convinced by lobby groups that it … confers privileges.

"Self-ID is not UK law and women should not be paying the price for policing beyond the law.”

Cathy Larkman, a retired police super­intendent, accused policing leaders of pandering to “extreme activists and lobbying bodies”.

She added: "We now have a service that allows the strip-searching of women and girls by male officers, and forces female officers to strip-search males who claim they are women.

"Where this goes wrong it has profound and lasting consequences … Police leaders have let down women and girls. They have let down female ­officers and staff.”

Despite sparking outrage, Scotland Yard revealed just four out of 33,654 officers were openly transgender in 2022.

The Home Office also released data which showed just 117 officers in England and Wales described themselves as neither male nor female.