Botched Paramilitary Police Raids: An Epidemic of "Isolated Incidents"

Cato Institute ^ | n/a | Radley Balko Radley Balko Radley Balko

[CBart95]

Your sadness acknowledged and shared, it is amazing that somehow you include law enforcement as a part of the causality of the dreadful consequences of alchohol and drug abuse.

Legal consequences are caused by the insanity of drug abuse. Innocent suffering is the consequence of it as well. Some have described these as " the facts of life."

The blindness of muddled understanding is the real tragedy here. Where emotional turmoil confuses cause from consequence and angels are seen as devils.

[Sally'sConcerns]

I have no blindness of muddled understanding as I've experienced firsthand the effect an addict/alcoholic can have on a family.

I've also experienced the joy recovery can bring.

I find it amazing you can somehow conclude I've included law enforcement as a part of the casuality. I have no problem with drugs being illegal. The one exception I make is marijuana as it's not physically addictive.

I still take issue with the no-knock raids for the reasons I've previously stated.

[CBart95]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. We appear to be more in agreement, then, on many general points and its encouraging to find such ample acceptance for what surely appears to be one of our most pressing social issues.

[free_at_jsl.com]

Why can't destruction of evidence be countered with good forensics? If police have a warrant, they could have a plumber block the sewer line before they politely knock on the door. The only other options for getting rid of evidence is by hiding it or burning it and a good search, and good forensic work could mitigate both. Taking this approach would eliminate all of the risks (to both police and to citizenry) that we now have with the no-knock raids.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Personally I'd rather see 100 drug dealers get off because of lack of evidence than to see one innocent person's home and life destroyed because of these overzealous jackbooted thugs who call themselves Police Officers.

"I was just following orders" was no defense at Nuremburg, it's no defense today either.

[CBart95]

Suggest you cool your jets on this one pal. Nuremberg was about the coldblooded murder of totally innocent non-combattants in wartime... of unspeakable obscenities.

Associating alleged cop abuse of druggies or even innocent civilians in a drug raid to that kind of horrible business invalidates your qualifications as a rational person.

That type of "commentary" does'nt deserve the dignity of a reply.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Suggest you chill yourself slick.

Power of government is the power to destroy. I don't care if your ass is gestapo of 1940 Nazi Germany or LAPD of 2006 America.

Just because you wear a badge doesn't give you the right to violate an innocent person's rights to Life and Liberty.

If you think it does then carry your silly ass to China, Russia or Cuba. I'm sure they would love you there. Here you are an enemy to the Constitution of the United States and therefore by default, MY enemy.

What part of

Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Don't you comprehend?

[medic12]

I live in a state that has 1 state police lab. It would be wonderful to have available endless forensic resources, but that's not here and now. Most sewer lines are are 4" pipes that flow to the county sewer pipes. They don't have a shut off or even a way to measure what goes in. (your sewer bill is estimated based on the amount of water you use). I don't want to sound paranoid but we don't even tell our team the location until the brief, a plumber who wasn't part of the team is out of the question in my mind. The "polite Knock" that you suggest could still allow someone who is looking at the three strikes law to have time to do something stupid. Quick , fast, and over saves lives of not only suspects, but Officers as well. It's not the "no-Knock" it's the lack of preplaning that gets both suspects and cops hurt or killed.

[Charlespg]

Wrong house or no, the threat that a bag of white powder or dried herb may vanish is worth the life of a human being, even if he is using or selling its contents?

not in my book