"Doctors took X-rays of Eckert’s abdomen and performed a rectal examination. No drugs were found, so doctors performed a second rectal exam, again unavailing. Doctors then gave Eckert an enema and forced him to have a bowel movement in the presence of a nurse and policeman, according to a lawsuit that Eckert filed. When no narcotics were found, a second enema was administered. Then a third."
One of the many problems with allowing this sort of procedure is that it shapes who signs up to be a policeman, and who quits the police force. Consider the statistics regarding psychopathy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy
"A 2008 study using the PCL:SV found that 1.2% of a US sample scored 13 or more out of 24, indicating "potential psychopathy"
There is also the somewhat controversial condition known as "sadism":
http://www.jaapl.org/content/34/1/61.full
"Sadistic individuals have poor behavioral controls, manifested by a short temper, irritability, low frustration tolerance, and a controlling nature. From an interpersonal standpoint, they are noted to be harsh, hostile, manipulative, lacking in empathy, cold-hearted, and abrasive to those they deem to be their inferiors. Their cognitive nature is considered rigid and prone to social intolerance, and they are fascinated by weapons, war, and infamous crimes or perpetrators of atrocities."
In a civil, decent society, most of these behaviors are driven underground, and treated as criminal. A civil and decent society strives to avoid situations in which criminals become society's leaders. The worst aspects of war and totalitarian regimes is that they empower psychopaths and sadists.
In her book "Prison we choose to live inside" Doris Lessing makes the point that many institutions are shaped by the self-selection of those who chose to work there. She mentions the idealistic, conscientious young man who joins the police thinking that he will be able to help the public, but if he finds the work brutal and inhumane, he quits and finds some other job where he feels he can do more to help the public. And yet he is exactly the kind of man that much of the public actually wants to have as a police officer: idealistic and conscientious and authentically wanting to help people.
When we allow police work to consist of repeated rectal exams of people who are not under arrest, then the good people will be driven out of the police force, and the police force will become a very attractive profession for those people whom are the most likely to abuse the power of being a police officer. The public would be wise to feel genuine terror at the thought of a police force that consists of the kinds of people who actually enjoy the kind torture described in this article.