Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins
This has been a very enlightening discussion - thanks, everyone. I guess the bottom line for me is that I am quite surprised by all of this. Under any other circumstances, in any other place, we, as American citizens, enjoy an almost absolute right to privacy, to be "secure in our personal affects". Everywhere but on the water. Apparently, when on the water, we have no rights whatsoever. I find that quite remarkable.
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Pretty much, but there are work around's. Basically, depending on the situation, a Coastie can only "inspect" a "man-sized" space...think human stow-away (that's below decks or whatever). If your a jerk I could figure a "stow-away" could fit in lots of places. And stuff in "plain-view", might lead me to a probable cause deal. I couldn't go through your cabinets, or even look in your cooler unless....you have something related to a possible, required, expired safety device. Or I found something to give me probable cause.
Hands down, the hardest part for everyone I boarded is they had to hand over their firearms. It was simply a safety issue, it was always returned at the end of the boarding, or stowed down below in "a spot". Basically it was I hide your gun til I leave so you don't shoot me if I give you a ticket LOL. It's the first thing you ask as a Boarding Officer..."Without reaching for, or touching do you have any firearms on board?"
All of the legal stuff took me back too, going through years of LE training. Had zero idea the CG was that special. As you age you see the sense in it. Pretty impossible to get a search warrant at 0200, 400 nautical miles off shore bouncing around in ten foot sea's. But all and all historically the CG has had very little problems with all this. Remember our other hat is Lifesavers...-WW