Posted on 06/20/2008 6:42:16 AM PDT by LibWhacker
Troy Molde awoke at 3 a.m. Thursday to police flashlights shining in his face. Two uniformed Lakeville officers were in his bedroom, knocking on the wall to wake him up.
They were there, they said, to warn him to keep his doors closed and locked.
Their surprise visit was part of a public service campaign. Officers had fanned out across the city, leaving notices on doors to remind residents how to prevent thefts by keeping garage doors closed, not leaving valuables in cars and locking windows or doors.
But at Molde's house, they went further.
His two sons, ages 5 and 7, and 5-year-old twin nephews were having a sleepover in the living room. They awoke to find the officers in the house.
"I was violated, but ... I wasn't physically damaged," Molde said of what he considers an invasion of privacy.
The officers told Molde his garage door was open, the TV was on, keys to his truck were left in the ignition and the door to his house was ajar.
Police said the intrusion was justified because the officers' initial door knocks went unanswered. Police went inside to check if anything was wrong, Sgt. Jim Puncochar said.
He said the kids were afraid to wake their dad, so the officers went upstairs.
"It really was suspicious," Puncochar said.
But Molde, 34, said he went upstairs to bed at midnight. Molde didn't shut the garage door, and he remembers leaving the doors to his house closed — but unlocked. The kids fell asleep watching TV.
Three hours later, he had police in his bedroom. He immediately thought something was wrong.
"I was just dazed," said the 34-year-old dad. "It's not a safe way of (police) protection."
Puncochar said officers left pamphlets Thursday at eight other houses as a friendly reminder of ways residents can avoid becoming victims of crimes, such as burglary.
"We went there to determine that everyone was safe," Puncochar said.
Officers also leave the messages when checking on a home security alarm or to warn of a law violation they see at the residence. The department began using door hangers a year ago to tackle a rise in burglaries in 2006, Chief Tom Vonhof said at the time.
Police say many crimes originate with open garage doors.
Last month, a 52-year-old Burnsville man was stabbed and left to die in his burning town house after two assailants entered his home at 4:30 a.m. by way of an open garage door.
The suspects, who stole the man's car to escape, entered the garage and home through unlocked doors. Police have not found the assailants.
Leaving a door hanger for residents is a method used by other police departments nationally, Vonhof said. It can help create a police presence.
Lakeville police gave Molde a reminder he won't forget anytime soon.
"I haven't figured out what I should do with it yet," Molde said.
“Just damn” comes to mind!
This is how cops, but usually homeowners, get shot.
B&E by the po-po.
Who’da thunk it?
In a sane world, cops wouldn’t be this stupid.
What you should do with it? Take the keys out of your car, lock your doors, thank the cops and shut up.
This is wrong on so many levels. What if the home owner shot them? I would think he would be justified.
Your link is broke.
Can they just come in without the warrant? Fire these ego maniacs
Unfreakin’ believable. Those cops would have likely faced a barrage of bullets if they had done that in my house. And, I would have likely been killed by them. And for what reason? “Public service announcement”
Insanity.
WELCOME TO FREE REPUBLIC’S MINNESOTA PING LIST!
98 MEMBERS AND GROWING...!
FREEPMAIL ME IF YOU WANT ON OR OFF THIS LIST!
I’d just as well the police stay off my property and leave me alone.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated... except by 21st century lawmen!
I’m not sure who’s stupider: the person who thought up this bizarre program or the guy who left his garage door open and his front door unlocked - enabling any random pervert to waltz in, abduct three small children and make off in the getaway car the homeowner thoughtfully provided.
Hey if Obama wins this will be more and more common as the state will be coming into alot more law abiding citizens houses. I god darn gaurentee it!
One of the officers quoted in the story was quick to argue that he had probable cause.
BTW ... bboop? You are good slave material. Better not let me catch you when TSHTF ... cause you'll be cleaning my latrine, and doing my laundry.
When I am away for the day, Spot is there to greet people. The doors are usually unlocked. My friends know where the goodies are located, and it's cool. Spot knows my friends.
He is just a dalmation, but if I am not there, you will have to shoot him to get in. He will protect our home from intrusion. He will warn you, and you should listen.
When I am traveling, I built the cabin with steel storm shutter roll-ups, for all openings. It's even tougher than Spot, to get into the place.
For a lawman to think that it is OK to enter a man's home, interview teen sons doing nothing, and then go upstairs, seems like a fairy tale from the USSR...
la de la de la de la!!!!! Everybody sing!
They couldn’t just ring the bell, or knock?? Still it certainly is not prudent to leave your house unlocked.
Thank you sir may I have another.
The nanny state at work: why weren't they going after the people who did this, instead of harrassing homeowners ? Then people could leave their garage doors open and their keys in their cars without worry.
” . . . and, sir, your water softener was low on salt, your yard needs mowing and your wife required servicing.”
I live in a real small town and haven’t seen my house keys for years. The key to my truck is in the ignition where it always is.
I left my garage door open one night in Lino Lakes. The police rang my door bell. I closed my garage door and thanked them. They DID NOT walk into the house, waltz upstairs and shine flashlights into my eyes. If they had I probably would have shot them.
OTOH, I probably would have been sleeping downstairs under the same circumstances, in an urban setting! The kids would have been upstairs, or we would all be in a tent in the backyard. The doors would still be unlocked, tho. The kids would probably need to pee!
The KG9 Kid: "These random police checkpoints on our highways are outrageous. One of these days, the police will be performing random stops in your bedroom 'in the interests of safety'."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOL! You're nuts!"
The KG9 Kid: "That may be true, but remember what I said."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOLPIMP! LOLOLOLOL! THIS IS DUBYA COUNTRY!!! USA USA USA!!!"
I was just telling somebody the other day about the Western PA neighborhood I grew up in...none of the houses had central air and during the summer we’d just leave the windows and doors open with a screen and fans, and they generally stayed that way from late-May through September, only getting locked up when the family went on vacation.
These a$$hole cops were way out of line. Knock on the front door! What jerks!
OK so they’re now leaving notes on the doors so burglars can quickly identify unlocked houses. Swell.
I’ve long since learnd the people who laugh at a slippery slope are generally sitting on a sled already.
Wow. A freeper who thinks cops should be able to enter anyone’s house for any reason at any time day or night is a rather unusual happening.
Well, until it happens to you, I’d wager.
The KG9 Kid: "These random police checkpoints on our highways are outrageous. One of these days, the police will be performing random stops in your bedroom 'in the interests of safety'."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOL! You're nuts!"
The KG9 Kid: "That may be true, but remember what I said."
Bunch of FR posters: "ROTFLOLPIMP! LOLOLOLOL! THIS IS DUBYA COUNTRY!!! USA USA USA!!!"
Deserves repeating...
Can you say Nanny State?
Please tell us that was sarcasm?!
Many years while standing shore patrol with the Providence, RI police, one hot summer night, we entered a sailor’s house went to his bed room, hit him on the sole of his foot with a night stick to wake him up, to question him about a drug purchase. The sailor’s wife never fully woke up during the “interview”.
When I questioned them about entering the house they said,” It was not breaking and entering because his door was open and the screen door was not hooked. I mentioned if they did that where I lived in Pennsylvania, they might have been shot.
A few years back a local cop ignored the sign at my gate to ring the bell. He walked in and felt threatened by my dangerous Jack Russell and maced the dog.
He was a big city cop assigned to a small town and found out in a hurry that I had no problem calling his boss and his boss had no problem chewing his butt for being an idiot.
Not that people usually respond to door knocks at 3:00 in the morning...
Geeze ... it isn't prudent to do many things.
Are we a nation of LAWS, or not?
Never mind ... I answered my own question.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE
“Take the keys out of your car,”
yes
“lock your doors,”
yes
” thank the cops and shut up.”
hmmm, a door hanger woulda worked too.
Hey, anybody can do anything they want, as long as they have no personal fixed ethics. I admire Tom, but this is typical politico talk. We are but serfs, and we better make sure that check is in the mail to the IRS. I still keeping asking what "service" is being rendered!
I would say with those circumstances that they were right to have done what they did.
It would appeared very strongly to the cops on the scene that night, that someones safety was in danger with the above circumstances.
Especially since someone was murdered in a similar situation a month before.
Actually I would amend my comments, they should have rung the doorbell first, and then have done the above if he didn’t come down.
Appearing in a homeowner's bedroom at 3AM unannounced, unsolicited and unexpected sure sounds like an attempt to approximately repeat the situation.
"Contemplative reflection is not required in the presence of an upraised knife." Ditto for abruptly discovering armed strangers in the inner sanctum of your home; action with extreme prejudice is called for, not friendly banter and exchange of advice.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.