'Immense breach of human rights': WA strip searches double in three years

WA Police defend doubling in strip searches amid rise in arrests Thu 2 Jul 2026 at 3:53pm In short: Strip searches by WA police officers more than doubled over three years, leading critics to label the practice as a breach of human rights. Around half of those strip searched were Indigenous, raising questions of racial profiling. The state's police commissioner says the increase correlates with a rise in arrests. The number of people strip searched by police officers in Western Australia has more than doubled over three years, according to figures released in parliament. Around half of those strip searched were Indigenous, despite Aboriginal people making up just 3.3 per cent of the WA population. Critics say the surging numbers are evidence of racial discrimination and human rights abuses, while police maintain they are the result of an increase in arrests. In 2021-22, 24,246 strip searches were conducted by WA police – just three years later in 2024-25, 49,362 were conducted, representing a more than 50 per cent increase. Hundreds of people under the age of 18 were also subjected to the searches. Almost all of the searches were conducted at a police station or watch house. Question of racial profiling According to the data, more than 24,000 of those strip searched in 2024-25 were Aboriginal, or just over half. Human rights advocate and Noongar woman Dr Hannah McGlade claimed that was evidence of discrimination, something WA Police strongly denied. "Aboriginal people including Aboriginal women are significantly over-represented in police strip searching," she told 102.5 ABC Perth. "That is a cause of concern and unfortunately it poses the question of racial profiling." Strip searches of young people under the age of 18 were also slightly up, with 1,354 undergoing the process in the first 11-and-a-half months of 2025-26. That subjected children to "shame and trauma", according to the WA Commissioner for Children and Young People Jacqueline McGowan-Jones. "This is an immense breach of human rights," she told 102.5 ABC Perth. Ms McGowan-Jones suggested body scans could be used instead, and noted police had a device at the Perth Watch House. 'Gross intrusion' Prominent Perth lawyer John Hammond said police could strip search anyone, subject to powers under the Criminal Investigation Act. "Police can strip search if they reasonably suspect a person has anything relevant to an office, it's a pretty broad discretion," he told 102.5 ABC Perth. Mr Hammond labelled strip searches as "a gross intrusion of someone's rights" most of the time. "A strip search involves and can involve an inspection of the genital areas, the anal area, the buttocks and the breast, so strip searches have to be undertaken with the clearest guidelines and with great care," he said. "There are a lot of people now in the legal world who believe strip searches should not occur full stop." Police solving more crimes When asked about the figures, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the uptick in strip searches reflected more arrests. "If someone's going into custody in Western Australia, a search of that type is almost certainly going to be done on every occasion," he said. "We've arrested a lot more people in the last few years because we've solved [more crimes]. "I think we've gone from 10 or 15 per cent of solving crime to about 45 per cent of solving crime using technology and capability, so we've arrested a lot more people." Australian Bureau of Statistics data suggests strip searches far outnumber offenders, but WA Police says that data is not directly comparable as it is defined differently and externally of police. WA Police also released a statement saying age, sex and race were not factors in a decision to conduct a strip search. "Strip searches reflect operational activity, including custody volumes, enforcement activity and lawful use of search powers," the statement read. "The number of strip searches conducted increases due to the significant rise in the number of offenders processed. "It is operationally necessary for WA Police to search prisoners for the safety and security of the person in custody, police officers, custodial staff and other detainees." Police were unable to say what the detection rate of contraband such as drug and weapons was because of strip searches. [Image text:] Perth Police Centre