Has Watertown Made Warrantless Searches The "New Normal"?

CNSNews.com ^ | April 25, 2013 | Bob Parks

[Biggirl]

The whole notion of the police "manhunt" is not a new American phenomenon. Cops chase bad guys, cops corner bad guys. Sometimes the bad guys give up quietly, sometimes they go down in a blaze of glory. But we've always had rules of engagement when it came to law enforcement interaction with the general public.

[Arm_Bears]

Not in my house.

[mosesdapoet]

Thanks for the posting
Don’t have Levin’s edress but if a few FR’s send him this while he’s in show prep he may pick up om it. In the meantime if you have a favorite talkie Post em these articles.

[muawiyah]

Same old thread ~ but not one complaint. Without that this could have all been voluntary ~ like people telling the cops to come in and check, and the cops asking them to step outside while they did just that ~ which is pretty common stuff (keeps the homeowner out of the line of fire in case there is a bad guy in there)

A real police state would have followed up with a good beating on the guy doing the videos. So far, no word on that.

[Biggirl]

I have noticed that I am getting a lot of renewed respect over here on Free Republic.

Thanks for making my day!

[Biggirl]

At least our LE’s do not do such beatings.

[muawiyah]

hmm ~ warrantless searches ~ actually quite common. They happen every day all over the country. For example, you think somebody's up to something in your garage and you are afraid so you call the cops. They come and search for you.

They don't need a warrent to do that.

Most of us usually don't think of a call to the police for help as something that needs a warrant ~ but let's say the cop goes into your garage, on that call, and your ex-husband is in there smoking marijuana! ZOOT ALORS

Does the cop need a warrant to see the marijuana? Does he need a warrant to go into defensive stance when you start screaming "It's my husband he's evil".

Now if you come home and can't get in the door because a cop has stopped by to smoke your marijuana and laugh at you from the kitchen window as you scream frantically? He probably needed a warrant! Even if he's toking up with your ex-husband.

Not to ridicule the situation, but we do not know from the video(s) whether or not those people were voluntarily allowing the cops in their homes, nor why the cops have them stepping outside. I suspect it's something like when you come home and find a dead body in the bedroom ~

[Kartographer]

For far to many FReepers it has!

[Kartographer]

The thought here is to make sure things don’t get to a beating stage, but I have a feeling depending on who it is you would be fine with the beating part too.

[Kartographer]

Funny you don’t see video’s of crap like this happening in Israel which suffers such attacks repeatedly, you don’t see them cowering in their homes send police and troops out to run rough shod over their own, is it to much to expect the same from Authorities here?

[muawiyah]

hmm ~ beating ~ (Homer Simpson voice)

I take it that any discussion of real police state methods is something you'd prefer to not hear about, right?

Are we to shut up about that?

[CodeToad]

“A real police state would have followed up with a good beating on the guy doing the videos.”

Um, that has happened many times before and documented here on FR. So, I guess you agree we do have a quasi police state.

[muawiyah]

i saw videos of Israeli paramilitaries dragging Jews from their homes. Did you miss that? SEE: http://blog.cleveland.com/world_impact/2008/12/large_Dec4-08SettlersRemoved-Hebron-_MIDEAST_ISRAE_Meye.JPG

[Kartographer]

The were breaking the law, but then breaking the law or not it’s are the same to you.

[Kartographer]

Actually you should get a job with the TSA and really get your jolly’s. I bet you be real good and terrorizing old ladies and molesting children.

[ForAmerica]

For example, you think somebody's up to something in your garage and you are afraid so you call the cops. They come and search for you.

The police were not called to come into their homes!

In Texas we go out and check for our self and call the police to come and pick up the body!

[muawiyah]

I referred to a specific act ~ that the cops come back later on and administer a beating to the guy taking the videos.

Very important operative words are "later" ~ has that happened?

This stuff where something just happens and there's no warrant and the cops end up shooting your dogs, cats and dinner ~ those are exceptions to the rule. Most encounters between citizens and cops in the US usually don't involve violence. That's not the case in police states ~ there they don't need warrants, and they don't care, but if you're there, they might decide to sharpen skills on your head just to make sure you know who is in charge.

They also make a practice of coming around later with reminders ~ rather like the mafia enforcers.

Here's how I saw a police state work. Our radar position was just across the boarder from a small older city in Czechoslovakia. There appeared to be one automobile there ~ everybody else rode bicycles or walked. NO private cars near the border!

During the day our radar showed the one automobile traversed a circuit around town where he stopped at the same houses every day ~ a reminder tap!

Police states don't have to be full force all the time

[muawiyah]

That's Texas ~ and you don't do it every time. We've got videos of even Texans calling the cops ~ actually, Texans worship the Texas Rangers ~ imagining them to be demigods just visiting the poor mortals on Earth ~ and not cops at all.

The cops in Watertown had identified a critical area. They did searches ~ not everywhere, and not everyone. Earlier that day they'd had a running gun battle with the perps who tossed a bomb.

[muawiyah]

Actually, my specialty was collecting multi million dollar debts from organizations owned by people disinclined to pay. if i needed a gun i could call on designated officers of the law and they'd take care of things.

Among groups I determined had to pay were Fund for Children, National Organization of Women, Jerry Fallwell, NRA, Conrad Black ~..... all nice folks I am sure, but when you owe, you owe eh!

[abb]