Do police officers have the same right to search us that school officials have?
No. The police cannot enforce school rules, they can only investigate crimes and make arrests. Unless there is reason to believe that a you are armed and dangerous, or if you are being arrested or consent to be searched, the police usually need a warrant and probable cause to search you at school or on the street. Probable cause has to be more than a reasonable suspicion. It means that the police must have solid grounds for believing that you have committed a crime, or that the place they want to search contains contraband or other specific items connected with a crime. So if the cops want to search you, do not consent. If they say they have a warrant, they must show it to you. The warrant has to have your name or an accurate description of you on it. It has to state what evidence the cops are looking for and where they think they’re going to find it. But even if you don’t think police have sufficient reason to do the search and you’ve objected, don’t resist if they insist on searching
