I work with law enforcement officers every day (radio dispatcher), so my point of view is probably decidedly biased. Officers are routinely treated to disrespect, violence, bodily fluids of ALL kinds being thrown, spit, vomited on, etc and most take it simply as one of the things about the job that you just put up with. The element of people you deal with on a daily basis are not the most sterling examples of humanity.

I also know, from firsthand experience, that the information that is given to the public is never the full story, and that even if it makes the police look very bad, some things must remain private to protect the privacy of both victims and suspects in some case. Things can look very bad from the outside view, and through the sensationalized lens that modern media puts such incidents. Clearly, not all the facts are being present here, and may never BE presented.

HOWEVER, that long-winded disclaimer said, there is NO excuse for strip search, no matter HOW valid the reasons may or may not have been that required such a search, for it to EVER be conducted by a member of the opposite sex. Period. The fact that it was mentioned that it was directly against the department's policy alone is a big red flag. Doesn't matter how many female officers you have on duty, you wait until you can get enough of them to conduct such a thing. I've had to 'lend' female officers to other agencies for just such a reason.