Posted on 08/19/2012 2:19:55 PM PDT by jobim
Here are the facts regarding friends (we'll call them the Parkers) of mine: Police came to the house at 3am, saying that someone reported they had heard a scream coming from their house. Police left upon being told that the Parkers had no knowledge of this.
Then sometime not long later, the police came to the Parker home again, saying that a 911 call had been made from the Parker house, with the voice of a woman yelling, and the phone was hung up. The parents were not at home, just the teenage boy and the 20-something girl. They showed no identification, although they wore the uniforms of the local police. The boy wished to accompany them as they searched the house, but they told him to stay where he was. One of the officers went down the hall to a bedroom where the husband's gun collection was, and lingered there long enough so that the other officer called out: "Are you all right?" The guns are all properly registered. The officers then left.
My questions: Is an incorrectly-attributed 911 call a frequent occurence? Could such be used to gain access to anyone's house? Is a warrant required?
They have to check the situation out. How many times have 911 operators and police dismissed a call and come to find out some psycho has had people tied up or chopped up in his garage?
It’s called SWATing.
I am going to play police advocate here. How do they know it is a false call until they investigate?
I would guess a vast majority of 911 calls aren’t false.
If someone calls 911 hearing a scream from the neighbors house, it could be a false call to harass a neighbor, but, it could be that a neighbor fell, there was a home invasion or something else.
It seems as someone in a public safety position, the first and fast priority would be to check on where the report came from, not do who knows how many hours of investigation required to try to determine if it is a fake call.
Holy heck, where do these Parker’s live that they have to register their firearms? Basically, the cops can do whatever they want, and recourse comes after the fact. Unless, possibly, you know your rights, have a camera and a witness, and you don’t open the door. They would have to have probable cause that a felony has been committed. Others more knowledgeable than i , and that’s a lot, will feel free to correct me.
Seems to me that one of Dahmer’s victims was taken back to Dahmer’s apartment by police who determined that it was just a lover’s quarrel.
We’ve had three experiences with the police coming for 911 calls made in error - a cordless phone transmitting 411 wrong, a child who learned about 911 in preschool, trying to dial a 921 number and getting it wrong. Nobody yelling in the background, though.
The police never asked to come in, just talk to us at the door, particularly me, the woman of the house.
If they come in with guns blaring and shooting dogs...it’s wrong. Searching a house that has had two 911 hangups is ok.
We had a case like that. My wife was with several friends in our house rehearsing for an Opera they were about to be in. Apparently, someone walking by heard what they thought were screams (it was screams but part of the script) and called 911. They came by, checked everything out, talked to everyone in the house and left. They were very nice about it and nothing came from it. I appreciate that they did that. What if it were a home invasion situation instead and the scream was my wife being attacked? (in reality, knowing my wife, the perp would be the one screaming in pain but that is another story.)
We had this problem and it turned out to be a glitch in the phone lines, the cable company we used for our phone service.
Once it was investigated and fixed, it never happened again.
It was a bit unnerving to have the police show up at our door twice.
I think it is reasonably secure, as they can trace the source of the call, and prosecute those who do fake calls.
What’s the alternative? No one can call the police? Calls can be faked without 911, you know, just call the police in a normal fashion. Should the cops ignore those calls, too?
I agree. Its a tough situation. Leftists pull that kind of crap as a means of harassing police and creating animosity toward police.
I’ve seen them show up after a cancelled call as well. My cousin thought his truck had been stolen one night till he found it in a field across the road. He pulled in a driveway and went to the door. Nobody was home so he went to leave and his truck was gone. He called the police and when he was waiting for them he saw it in the moonlight a good 100 yards off the road. He called the police again and cancelled but they showed up anyway.
Appear at the window with hands visible and state “I do not consent to a search - if you have a warrant, kick the door down and enter.”
About 20 years ago I had police at my door. They stated someone made a foul and vulgar 911 call from my address.
My spouse was napping upstairs, and it was me and the dog. I left them on the porch, woke up my husband and we both denied any part of the prolem. They really didnt believe us. We told them it was their glitch. they left.
About 20 years ago I had police at my door. They stated someone made a foul and vulgar 911 call from my address.
My spouse was napping upstairs, and it was me and the dog. I left them on the porch, woke up my husband and we both denied any part of the prolem. They really didnt believe us. We told them it was their glitch. they left.
These days cant you program phones to give different call back numbers?
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