A strip search is when a law enforcement officer makes a person remove some or all of his or her clothes, so that the officer can inspect the person's body to see whether or not he or she is in possession of weapons or illegal substances. Strip searches must be done in accordance with the law.
The reason why strip searches are sometimes conducted is because certain individuals may represent an immediate threat, and there may be reason to believe that they are hiding dangerous objects or materials in their private areas. For example, if law enforcement arrests two suspected drug dealers who are believed to be armed and dangerous, they may conduct a strip search to make sure that they do not have any weapons or drugs in their private areas. However, such a search would have to be done in accordance with the Fourth Amendment.