Can a male police officer search a female?

A male officer is allowed to perform a pat-down search on a female. Every police officer is limited to a pat-down search of any individual who is detained, arrested or has given the officer a reasonable suspicion.

A pat-down search limits the male officer to patting down the outside of a woman or any individual's clothing to check for weapons if the officer believes the person is armed. To perform the search on a female, the officer must use the back or edges of his hand; using the palms of his hands at any point in time is not allowed.