Would You Please Invite Big Brother In?
Via Instapundit, an attempt by the Washington, D.C. Police to convince residents to allow officers into their homes for voluntary gun searches.
If "safe homes" were the actual goal of the program, then perhaps residences that were searched and found to be without firearms would be provided with suitable defensive weaponry and an offer of free training from teh D.C. police. Of course, the program isn't about safety, but is instead a last desperate bid by the District of Columbia to disarm their citizenry in advance of the expected verdict of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Heller case. It's an attempt at fascism, but at least it is polite fascism.
A crackdown on guns is meeting some resistance in the District. Police are asking residents to submit to voluntary searches in exchange for amnesty under the District's gun ban. They passed out fliers requesting cooperation on Monday. The program will begin in a couple of weeks in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of southeast Washington and will later expand to other neighborhoods. Officers will go door to door asking residents for permission to search their homes. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said the "safe homes initiative" is aimed at residents who want to cooperate with police. She gave the example of parents or grandparents who know or suspect their children have guns in the home.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:59 AM
Comments
1
"Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said the "safe homes initiative" is aimed at residents who want to cooperate with police. She gave the example of parents or grandparents who know or suspect their children have guns in the home."
Jesus - 1984 anyone?
Jesus - 1984 anyone?
Posted by: Dan Irving at March 25, 2008 09:31 AM (zw8QA)
2
So, they're looking for cockroaches or mouse poop? Or, oh my!, they're looking for guns that residents are illegally hiding in their homes for protection!?! Making sure any legal guns are dismantled and/or have trigger locks to insure that no one gets hurt? Hmmmmm. What is the average response time for 911 calls in DC? The gendarme could take their time if the intruder was splattered on the wall instead of alive, well, and perpetrating. The cops could stop by 7-11 and pick up some "Bon Ami" for the clean-up, and a body bag or two.
Posted by: Tonto (USA) at March 25, 2008 09:51 AM (GAL+4)
3
I guess a warrant is too difficult to get in D.C.
Posted by: Penfold at March 25, 2008 10:11 AM (lF2Kk)
4
As seems inevitable with these prohibitions, this can only disarm those, as they say, who cooperate. I hope this is damn few people in any case but we can be certain that those with illegal weapons or other actionable conditions will not answer the door. And they are not obliged to, quite rightly. I hope those who surrender their arms do not soon regret it.
Posted by: megapotamus at March 25, 2008 11:22 AM (LF+qW)
5
I wonder if those that don't allow for the inspection get put on a 'list'. You know, for their 'safety'.
Posted by: Dan Irving at March 25, 2008 11:57 AM (zw8QA)
6
In Boston, this program has ben delayed and down-sized several times:
*Opposition from residents is strong*
"The goal, said Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department, would be getting weapons off the streets, rather than making arrests.
But critics say that the searches are unconstitutional and that police will not guarantee that residents would face no criminal charges if guns or drugs were found."
*Opposition from residents is strong*
"The goal, said Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department, would be getting weapons off the streets, rather than making arrests.
But critics say that the searches are unconstitutional and that police will not guarantee that residents would face no criminal charges if guns or drugs were found."
Posted by: teqjack at March 25, 2008 12:59 PM (CEphM)
7
This isn't even "creeping fascism" it's right out in the open
Posted by: Capitalist Infidel at March 25, 2008 01:13 PM (kNqJV)
8
This is just about as bad as that guy from a few years ago. Someone broke into his home, the bad guy had a gun, the guy shot the bad guy. The DA said "Well we know you did not have a trigger lock on your pistol because if you had, you would not been able to respond by using it, you are going to jail."
This is just frigging stupid. When will the sheep learn?
This is just frigging stupid. When will the sheep learn?
Posted by: Matt at March 25, 2008 02:13 PM (9V6Vj)
9
Fantastic! Do the police issue a large sign after clearing the house of dangerous weapons which reads, "The residents of this home are completely unarmed"?
We shouldn't make the job of criminals unduly difficult by having to sort out that kind of thing on their own. One mistake can be deadly, after all.
We shouldn't make the job of criminals unduly difficult by having to sort out that kind of thing on their own. One mistake can be deadly, after all.
Posted by: w3 at March 25, 2008 03:46 PM (Qv6bq)
10
Oh dear. In all of my years of police service, had my commanders ever come up with an idea like this and asked me to implement it, I would surely have resigned rather than participate. Talk about violating the pledge each and every officer takes to uphold and defend the Constitution...
Posted by: Mike at March 25, 2008 08:54 PM (9bFk2)
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