Police limit searches for guns

[stephanie]

Opposition from residents is strong; Invited into homes without warrants
Email|Print|Single Page| Text size – + By Maria Cramer
Globe Staff / March 25, 2008

Boston police officials, surprised by intense opposition from residents, have significantly scaled back and delayed the start of a program that would allow officers to go into people's homes and search for guns without a warrant.

The program, dubbed Safe Homes, was supposed to start in December, but has been delayed at least three times because of misgivings in the community. March 1 was the latest missed start date.

SNIP:
Commissioner Edward F. Davis has been taken aback by the criticism. Davis promoted Safe Homes as a voluntary program that would help overwhelmed, frightened parents and guardians by removing guns from their homes without fear of prosecution.

"I would say that the police commissioner has been a bit surprised by those that are not in favor," Driscoll said. "We're genuinely trying to save lives."


read whole article..
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/25/police_limit_searches_for_guns/

[hjmick]

Voluntary. Uh-huh. And when you don't "voluntarily" let them in your house, they come back two days later with a search warrant and their brown shirts. This type of program is bullshit, pure and simple.

[Nukeman]

Voluntary. Uh-huh. And when you don't "voluntarily" let them in your house, they come back two days later with a search warrant and their brown shirts. This type of program is bullshit, pure and simple.
EXACTLY!!!! When you dont give them PERMISSION to search they then get a warrant based on "probable cause" due to your failure to comply with a reasonable request by an officer. This is the sticky line of the whole mess.

Give the feds an inch and they will take a freaking mile!!!!! All under the guise of safety and for the children!!!!!

[Monkeybone]

it is Boston. know what kinda ppl are up there...

[theHawk]

And liberals claim their policies aren't communist in nature.

[Hagbard Celine]

And liberals claim their policies aren't communist in nature.

Yes we do. Do you have a point or do you just like to write "And" and then add something banal after it?

[Pale Rider]

And liberals claim their policies aren't communist in nature.


Yes we do. Do you have a point or do you just like to write "And" and then add something banal after it?

The most important step to invoking communist rule is to disarm the public, and liberals are the ones pushing to disarm the public.

[diuretic]

What's interesting about this the apparent naievete of the Police Commissioner. I know what he's trying to achieve but perhaps a firearms amnesty is a better way of doing it, just let folks turn the weapons in, if they wish. Allowing a consent search of your house could be a problem for the householder. What if the cops find your stash? :laugh2:

[Monkeybone]

What's interesting about this the apparent naievete of the Police Commissioner. I know what he's trying to achieve but perhaps a firearms amnesty is a better way of doing it, just let folks turn the weapons in, if they wish. Allowing a consent search of your house could be a problem for the householder. What if the cops find your stash? :laugh2:

it's supposed to be without persecution. until they probably return with the warrent.

let's just make it if we catch you with a gun and you don't have a permit or you're not supposed to have one or whatever....we just shoot you. i mean since it's like the Wild West (i always thought that "wild" meant unexplored and "west" was just the direction...silly me!) and we are just gonna have wild shoot outs. that fixes everything!

[diuretic]

it's supposed to be without persecution. until they probably return with the warrent.

let's just make it if we catch you with a gun and you don't have a permit or you're not supposed to have one or whatever....we just shoot you. i mean since it's like the Wild West (i always thought that "wild" meant unexplored and "west" was just the direction...silly me!) and we are just gonna have wild shoot outs. that fixes everything!

I'm not very sure of myself when it comes to the law in the US but I suspect the "plain view doctrine" might kick in. Yurt would know much better than me of course but I can tell you, no way would I invite the police into my house without an authority to do so, unless it's a mate coming around for a beer of course :laugh2:

[Monkeybone]

I'm not very sure of myself when it comes to the law in the US but I suspect the "plain view doctrine" might kick in. Yurt would know much better than me of course but I can tell you, no way would I invite the police into my house without an authority to do so, unless it's a mate coming around for a beer of course :laugh2:

yes and i will admit that i have a bias veiw, my father being a cop and all.

this is one of those things where i can understand why they want to do it and everything..i mean it clicks in my head...but going they about it wrong(ish).

[manu1959]

Yes we do. Do you have a point or do you just like to write "And" and then add something banal after it?

how about this program......

a new program, dubbed Safe Homes, that would allow officers to go into people's homes and search for drugs without a warrant is a voluntary program that would help overwhelmed, frightened parents and guardians by removing drugs from their homes without fear of prosecution.

"I would say that the police commissioner has been a bit surprised by those that are not in favor, we're genuinely trying to save lives."

[theHawk]

Yes we do. Do you have a point or do you just like to write "And" and then add something banal after it?

My point was quite clear.

The question is, do you have a point? Funny that you could care less that these liberal policies are trampling all over the constitution.

[manu1959]

My point was quite clear.

The question is, do you have a point? Funny that you could care less that these liberal policies are trampling all over the constitution.

he doesn't think the constitution guarantees you the right to own a gun so taking it from you would violate nothing....

[5stringJeff]

Here's how this conversation would go at my house:

Cop: "Do you have a gun in this house?"

Me: "Yeah. (pumping shotgun) Here's the business end."

[DragonStryk72]

Oh my god, you mean people might not like it if cops didn't show up to rifle through their personal items? that people might like their privacy?

this is a definitive violation of their 4th amendment rights, the one that protects against unreasonable search and seizures.

my own experience, using 5string's example:

Cop: "Do you have any guns in this house?"

Me: "Well, no, actually, I don't, but be careful around that katana, it's not ornamental, and try not to break my tonfas. The knife collection is on display in various portions of the house."

I can only imagine what would be going through the mind of a prospective intruder, "Um, yeah, guys, I don't think we want to fuck with this guy. I just look down the hall, and it looks like something out of 300"

You ever notice there notably fewer break-ins where people have, and use, their own protective weapons? It's kind of like how deer know to stay away from wolf territory.