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Saturday, November 17, 2007

Boston To Start Home-To-Home Searches For Guns In High-Crime Areas

Ugh...

Boston police are launching a program that will call upon parents in high-crime neighborhoods to allow detectives into their homes, without a warrant, to search for guns in their children’s bedrooms.

The program, which is already raising questions about civil liberties, is based on the premise that parents are so fearful of gun violence and the possibility that their own teenagers will be caught up in it that they will turn to police for help, even in their own households.

In the next two weeks, Boston police officers who are assigned to schools will begin going to homes where they believe teenagers might have guns. The officers will travel in groups of three, dress in plainclothes to avoid attracting negative attention, and ask the teenager’s parent or legal guardian for permission to search. If the parents say no, police said, the officers will leave.

There are constitutional questions here, of course.  Allah at Hot Air does a good job reviewing those.  What bothers me is the intimidation factor, and the attitude on display from authorities here.

For better or worse, having cops show up on your doorstep asking to come in and search your home is a scary experience.  How many people are going to be bullied into letting the cops in?  What are the chances of the cops leaving you alone if you won’t let them in?  After all, if you won’t let them search, you must be guilty of something right?  And how clear is it going to be to some citizens that it is their right to say “no” to this sort of thing?  If they came to my door, I’d say “no” on general principles.

Plus, why are the cops seizing guns that haven’t been used to commit any sort of crime?  I understand that Boston, and undoubtedly the state of Massachusetts too, has restrictions on what sort of guns a citizen can own (whether those restrictions are constitutional or not is the subject for another post), but I fail to see why that gives cops license to want to search homes where they suspect such guns may exist?  And are they just going to be seizing banned guns, or all guns in the home?  The article isn’t real clear, but it seems the attitude from the cops is “all guns are bad.” Which isn’t true, obviously.

Overall what we have here is cops paying visits to private homes and asking to search them not because they believe there’s evidence in them relating to a crime that’s been committed but rather because they feel some of the denizens of these homes might commit a crime.  And that’s a pretty dangerous thing to let happen as it starts us down a road I don’t think any of us want to travel.

Comments

Avatar for imagine

I agree that this brings up constitutional questions..

Just call it part of the “Patriot Act” then it will be fine.

imagine on November 17, 2007 at 10:25 pm

It has nothing whatsoever to do with the Patriot Act.  Typical leftie, trying to change the subject due to BDS.


If life doesn’t begin at conception, why do they call it birth control?

robert108 on November 17, 2007 at 10:34 pm

They’re going to do this in the Great Society where the single mothers are afraid of their own children and the lowlife fathers are all either gone, dead, or in jail. “High-crime neighborhoods” is a euphemism for black neighborhoods that have all been but destroyed by the Democrat social programs of the last few decades.

Democrats, take a bow. This is your neighborhood.

likwidshoe on November 17, 2007 at 11:22 pm

Just call it part of the “Patriot Act” then it will be fine.

Wrong!!  As even you should know and admit, gun control and confiscation programs are liberal programs promoted by liberal run governments everywhere and by the liberal Democrats here in our country.  As usual, when a liberal program goes wrong or becomes absurd, the liberals attempt to blame the opposition for its demise.


You don’t have to be a moron to be a liberal Democrat but it sure helps.

docdave on November 18, 2007 at 04:16 am

I guess it probably passed the legal test because they’re getting permission for the adult in the home.

On the other hand if I lived there I’d want a gun.  And I’d tell the cops no thanks.


What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.


The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on November 18, 2007 at 07:47 am

And you can rest assured that each person that refuses them entry will be visited with a warrant and have their entire residence tumbled. And what else will they be busting people for when given permission to search? There will be a string of officers shot and otherwise injured during this little Gestapo episode. And THAT will be used as justification for further violations of citizens rights.

imagine, we already know that you are a multiple usename spambot on this blog, so I do not expect any response to this query. Care to give us a list of the innocent American citizens wrongly prosecuted under ANY provision of the Patriot Act?


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on November 18, 2007 at 11:42 am

Of course the left like to complain about the violation of rights at the drop of a hat, but when it comes to violating real rights they are the leaders.

Now in Boston they are seeming to say you can’t own guns because you or your child might be dangerous.  I would also refuse their search on principle, and if they showed up with a warant later I would sue the state because even with a warrant that search is unreasonable, they are not investigating a crime, nor do they have reason to think one has been committed.

I would also like to see a list of american citizens persecuted under the Patriot Act.

Anthony on November 18, 2007 at 09:19 pm

Anthony, we been asking these jagoffs for a list of AmCits who have been targeted by the Patriot Act for several years. No takers as of this date. We did get Jose Padilla one time. They are as bad as the paulettes when it comes to this crap, we been asking THEM to list Herr Doktor’s accomplishments, and no dice.

I would like to see the numbers on how many prosecutions on gun charges are being pushed through. Or are the gun charges being dropped, as is a habit in so many cities.


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on November 19, 2007 at 05:00 am

Of cousre ther are no takers, there is no list, and no citizens being persecuted by the federal Government.

But just wait, if Hillary gets elected.....

Anthony on November 19, 2007 at 09:15 am
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