Hear about the new police search tactic in Boston?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I can't imagine people actually going along with this. But if they do, I guess they deserve a police search. I'm all for thinning the herds of stupid people.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/17/police_to_search_for_guns_in_homes/

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

The issue isn't as simple as you make it out to be. Sure, you could argue the ivory tower constitutional rights thing. Cornerstone of the American spirit. Slippery slope. Etc. You'd be totally legally correct. But if you're a homicide detective in Boston (particularly Dorchester, Roxbury, or Mattapan, where I'd say anecdotally 80-90% of shootings and murders seem to occur), there are very few murders that get solved, and not for the typical stereotypes of police incompetency, laziness, or ineptitude. When you have a culture where very few murders get solved. and there are very few witnesses willing to come forward, it's a very difficult proposition for the BPD.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I never said there was anything unconstitutional about it. If you're dumb enough to consent to a police search, then they don't need a warrant and can ransack your house to their hearts' content. I just can't imagine people allowing the police to look for contraband in their own homes. I have no problem with stupid people getting into trouble by their own actions. Makes it easier on the rest of the smart people.

Hugh R · 06:06 PM

I don't see a problem. I wouldn't do it personally. However, it's time parents started taking responsibility for their kids actions. Too many murders go unsolved in LA as well, because no one wants to come forward. If a murder happened where I live, I think just about everyone in the neighborhood would do whatever they could to track down the killer(s).

Two years ago a police dog was brought throught the high school parking lot to screen the students cars for guns/drugs/etc. It tagged my son's car. They called me and I said go ahead and open it up. They found nothing, my son worked at the local skeet range and the dog detected the scent of gunpowder from his clothes in the car.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Two years ago a police dog was brought throught the high school parking lot to screen the students cars for guns/drugs/etc. It tagged my son's car. They called me and I said go ahead and open it up. They found nothing, my son worked at the local skeet range and the dog detected the scent of gunpowder from his clothes in the car.

And that's a prime reason why I'd never consent to a police search of anything I own. Look up that thread from a few yrs. ago about what all everyone here has found in their cars from previous owners. Some scary stuff. I know I found spare ammo laying around in my 1970 BMW 2002 when I bought it in 1988. That could have landed me in pretty hot water in the People's Rep. of NJ, where I lived at the time. No biggie in a lot of places, but a real biggie in others. Pretty sure there's loose ammo of casings in some of my cars even now. I shot about 500 rds. yesterday.