Crackdown on Guns Beginning in DC

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mountainclmbr

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http://www.nbc4.com/news/15688264/detail.html

WASHINGTON -- A crackdown on guns is under way in the District. Police are asking residents to submit to voluntary searches in exchange for amnesty under the District's gun ban.

The program is starting in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington on Monday and will later expand to other neighborhoods.

Officers will go door to door asking residents for permission to search their homes.

Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said the "safe homes initiative" is aimed at residents who want to cooperate with police.
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Or if they'll put those who refuse on a list and make a "probable cause" to search? Personally, I don't trust these types of searches where they ask if they can, etc.
 
I have never been able to understand the rank and file support for the ban in D.C. from MPDC, Capitol Police, Park Police, and all the other agencies and the privately employed SPOs'.

My own tin is in the Potomac after I decided not to support that system any longer. I was only an SPO, but don't understand how one takes the oath, enforces D.C. law, and looks in the mirror.

I agree, they seem to be trying to do a round up before the ban is dead and gone for good. The D.C. council is also hard at work on "plan B" with the stated goal of crafting the most restrictive regulation that will withstand scrutiny.

You can't fix stupid.
 
injunctive relief.

I would have though that with the entire issue before the SCOTUS that someone would have requested an injunction or something to stop this action.
 
Well, theoretically, if they ask for permission to search, they are not doing anything illegal, unless they come back with a warrant which says that refusal to let them search constituted probable cause that the home owner was hiding something. Then, just maybe, then, the ACLU will untie their aprons, put on a pair of pants, and step up to the civil rights plate.

I also heard that the Chief of Police in DC said that this program was targeted at parents who know or suspect that their kid(s) are hiding dope and/or illegal guns in the home and want to have those things gotten rid of.

Well, excuse me. Don't those idiots know how to call the police and INVITE them over for a search? Sheesh. We sure are breeding some dolts in our nations capitol. How much police money, time, and other resources (gas, oil, tires for the cruisers, etc.) are they going to spend on this "If we ask nice can we search" program. Idiots!
 
USAFNoDak said:
Don't those idiots know how to call the police and INVITE them over for a search?
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The highest risk households are single-parent and fatherless, with young, uncontrolled males. The mother or grandmother head-of-household has little influence or limiting power over the teenage males.

This of course, describes most of the households in the high-crime areas. The insufficiently socialized, violent males are literally terrorists in their own communities.

The female heads-of-household are quite correctly terrified of repercussions from initiating police contact -- a drive-by spray of bullets, a Molotov cocktail -- they are trying to protect the little ones from further violence.

By doing sweeps, the police are trying to avoid targeting a home for reprisals.
 
come back with a warrant which says that refusal to let them search constituted probable cause that the home owner was hiding something.
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It doesn't work that way. Withholding permission to search is not, and CANNOT ever be considered in itself probable cause. This is already well established. If that weren't the case, police would ALWAYS have the right to legally search and without a warrant. Think about it.
 
It doesn't work that way. Withholding permission to search is not, and CANNOT ever be considered in itself probable cause.
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But people think it does work that way. The police can be very intimidating and take liberties with the truth, and that's enough to get them in the door. Fifteen years of watching COPS has led people to believe that the police can enter any residence they want.
 
I can't figure out who looks dumber... the cops asking to search

or a person saying sure.... because I don't know if there are any guns in my house.....

Even if they didn't know... could they not look themselves?

You would think the cops would have better things to do and they could get a group of volunteers from the Milliom Mom March to go around and knock on doors and do the search.
 
It is very dissappointing that even here, in a gun enthusiast forum where you would THINK folks would have a bit of education about the Bill of Rights... that there is anyone here that thinks like that. I mean it's sad that the general public is SO IGNORANT about how our government works and key principles, but here? Here?????

I mean no disrespect to anyone. I'm just really surprised.
 
The Boston program is in trouble due to resistance from the sheep. The local political class is surprised.

So might the petty tyrants of DC get surprised...
 
The voluntary search thing was tried years ago in Chicago housing projects. IIRC, the final outcome on that was a court ruling that said that the searches were unconstitutional and that the residents count not give up their right to warrantless search. Anyone else remember that?
 
The article says that amnesty would be granted for other crimes that evidence was found for in the search. So couldn't a gang-banger shoot however many folks he/she wanted to, pile the bodies up in his/her apartment, set the gun he used on top of them, and then invite the police in for the search?

I just don't understand, and never will.
 
Another great idea by the authorities in D.C. They probably have inside information that all criminals will gladly submit to such a search.

The logic of such hairbrained ideas amazes me....
 
Quote:
come back with a warrant which says that refusal to let them search constituted probable cause that the home owner was hiding something.

It doesn't work that way. Withholding permission to search is not, and CANNOT ever be considered in itself probable cause. This is already well established. If that weren't the case, police would ALWAYS have the right to legally search and without a warrant. Think about it.
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I know it's not SUPPOSED TO WORK THAT WAY. That's why I mentioned the possibilities of the ACLU slipping out of their aprons, donning some pants, and protecting civil liberties that they might not necessarily agree with.

However, as a previous poster stated, how the courts and cops work, and what the law says, are not necessarily one and the same. We all should be aware of that. What if the cops came to someones door and said, "We'd like to search your house for guns and drugs". The owner says, "Not without a warrant you won't". The cops say, "Fine, you know it won't take us long to get a warrant. Do you have something to hide?". Would that cause someone who is not up to speed on the laws to then give them permission to search? It very well could. Threats by government can cause people to behave in certain ways, even if the law says the government cannot "legally" threaten someone if they haven't broken the law.
 
I know it's not SUPPOSED TO WORK THAT WAY. That's why I mentioned the possibilities of the ACLU slipping out of their aprons, donning some pants, and protecting civil liberties that they might not necessarily agree with.

However, as a previous poster stated, how the courts and cops work, and what the law says, are not necessarily one and the same. We all should be aware of that. What if the cops came to someones door and said, "We'd like to search your house for guns and drugs". The owner says, "Not without a warrant you won't". The cops say, "Fine, you know it won't take us long to get a warrant. Do you have something to hide?". Would that cause someone who is not up to speed on the laws to then give them permission to search?
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It SPECIFICALLY said, that refusal to allow search would/could become grounds for probable cause, and then a warrant could be obtained based upon that probable cause. And I resonded that no, it cannot be basis for probable cause. I did not misread it. So I will reiterate. Refusing permission to search, is not itself probable cause. Anyone who thinks that, is mistaken, and needs to study the BOR, the COTUS, and civics again.

I am also one who has exercised my right to refuse search and guess what, there was no search. I will refuse permission to search 100% of the time, and I don't have anything to hide. I have rights. If we don't exercise them, gung ho cops will start to forget that people have rights. Always try to exercise your rights lest they fade.
 
Ahhhh! Sit in this chair and let me hold you under water for 20 minutes. If you drown, your innocent. If you live, we burn you at the stake.
 
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