Frisk

Frisk

How to Conduct a Basic Pat Search on a Non-Secured Individual.

Step 1 of 32

We want to take a visual before we get close enough to go hands on.

And that visual is going to include the hands, waistband, and the face.

Step 2 of 32

And we're looking at the waistband because that's where weapons are most commonly carried is going to be in the waistband.

Step 3 of 32

And also the face because the eyes are the windows to the soul and they don't lie.

So we can tell a person whether they're going to be agitated, whether they're going to comply, whether they're thinking about something to do.

Step 4 of 32

But in a very instant of a basic search, we want to control the hands.

So, if someone has their hands in their pocket, the first thing we should be doing is controlling the hands.

Step 5 of 32

Use commands.

"Take your hands out of your pocket."

"Let me see your hands clear."

Step 6 of 32

At this point, when taking that visual, I'm once again looking hands, waistband and the face.

Step 7 of 32

When I do that, I'm also going to now turn the person away from me.

"Turn around."

I've taken a visual of the backside.

Step 8 of 32

"Put your arms up to the side."

"Palms facing me."

Once again, I'm taking a visual of the hands from this angle.

Step 9 of 32

"Place your hands on top of your head." "Interlace your fingers."

Step 10 of 32

From here, I am going to make my approach, as he didn’t show any signs of being combative.

At this time, I'm going to secure the hands with my hand.

Grabbing inside, interlaced fingers and dropping my hand down.

Step 11 of 32

Now from here is when I'm going to start to conduct the pat frisk.

"Spread your feet out."

Step 12 of 32

I'm going to marry my foot to the inside.

Step 13 of 32

From here, I'm going to use my hand to check the front of the waistband.

Step 14 of 32

Inside the thigh, outside the leg.

Step 15 of 32

From here, if I turn around, I can scoop down the back across the waist.

Step 16 of 32

At this point, I can change my hands and I can go and do the other side.

Step 17 of 32

From this side, I marry my other foot to the inside. I can hit the front, hit the waistband, inner thigh, ankle, as well as the back of the leg.

Step 18 of 32

All while maintaining visual contact with the person. I'm never looking down.

Step 19 of 32

I'm always looking up. Also, with my vision as I look up, my peripheral vision can see.

Step 20 of 32

I can see what he is doing even though I'm looking at the waistband.

I don't want to stick my head so far in front of the person where they can grab me.

Step 21 of 32

Same thing here. As I bend down, I want to maintain a visual of the person.

Step 22 of 32

At any time, with my leg on the inside, if I feel something is happening, I can just bend my leg and immediately drop it to the ground to perform a takedown.

Step 23 of 32

Same thing can happen backwards. If I was here and something was happening, all I needed to do was drop my elbow down and that pulls the person going backwards.

Step 24 of 32

Depending upon what that person is doing, if they decide to defeat my grip at any time, I can utilize my lower half to effect the takedown.

Or I can use my upper body to effect the takedown from that position.

Step 25 of 32

I want to hit the key clinical areas, which is going to be primarily the waistband.

Upper chest, waistband, inside of thigh and the ankle area and also the small of the back.

Those are the primary areas that I want to hit during the search.

Step 26 of 32

You may want to feel something in the pocket, you may want to go in there and grab it depending upon what I feel from the outside, depending upon your institutional policy.

Step 27 of 32

So, during this pat down, if I find something that I believe to be a weapon, what should I do?

I immediately grab onto it, one hand, or onto that weapon, if it's a weapon in the waistband, in the pocket.

Step 28 of 32

But the number one thing I do, I yell "weapon" in a loud, clear voice, and I alert others around me that there's a weapon in the area.

Step 29 of 32

So from here, I immediately go securing onto it, or simply two hands controlling the waist, alright? Head is to the back, controlling that waistband.

Step 30 of 32

So if his pocket's here, his waistband, if I immediately lock onto that, and he's got to go grab inside of his pocket, he's going to have to go through my arms.

Step 31 of 32

I don't effect a takedown. Why not?

If I lose control, his arms are free, and his pocket's free, his waistband's free, and now we're all of a sudden fighting for a knife on the ground.

Step 32 of 32

It's more effective to control any type of weapon while it's still in his waistband or in his pocket than it is flailing around in his hand.