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Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000
sec.627General provision about searches of vehicles
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### sec.627 General provision about searches of vehicles
This section deals with the searching of vehicles under this Act.
Before deciding to take a vehicle to a place with appropriate facilities for searching it, a police officer must consider whether searching the vehicle somewhere else would be more effective because of the nature and size of a thing sought that may be concealed in the vehicle.
If a police officer decides to take a vehicle to a place with appropriate facilities for searching it, the police officer must, if the person apparently in possession of the vehicle is known and present—
tell the person where the vehicle is to be taken; and
ask the person if the person wants to be present during the search.
If a police officer searches an unattended vehicle or anything in it, the police officer must leave a notice in a conspicuous place in or on the vehicle stating—
that the vehicle or a stated thing in or on it has been searched; and
the police officer’s name, rank and station; and
that a record of the search may be obtained from any police station.
After searching an unattended vehicle or anything in it, the police officer must ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the vehicle is left secured at least to the same extent as it was before the search.
s 627 (prev s 321) renum 2000 No. 22 s 22
amd 2024 No. 24 s 57 s ch 1 pt 2
(sec.627-ssec.1) This section deals with the searching of vehicles under this Act.
(sec.627-ssec.2) Before deciding to take a vehicle to a place with appropriate facilities for searching it, a police officer must consider whether searching the vehicle somewhere else would be more effective because of the nature and size of a thing sought that may be concealed in the vehicle.
(sec.627-ssec.3) If a police officer decides to take a vehicle to a place with appropriate facilities for searching it, the police officer must, if the person apparently in possession of the vehicle is known and present— tell the person where the vehicle is to be taken; and ask the person if the person wants to be present during the search.
(sec.627-ssec.4) If a police officer searches an unattended vehicle or anything in it, the police officer must leave a notice in a conspicuous place in or on the vehicle stating— that the vehicle or a stated thing in or on it has been searched; and the police officer’s name, rank and station; and that a record of the search may be obtained from any police station.
(sec.627-ssec.5) After searching an unattended vehicle or anything in it, the police officer must ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the vehicle is left secured at least to the same extent as it was before the search.
- (a) tell the person where the vehicle is to be taken; and
- (b) ask the person if the person wants to be present during the search.
- (a) that the vehicle or a stated thing in or on it has been searched; and
- (b) the police officer’s name, rank and station; and
- (c) that a record of the search may be obtained from any police station.