Boston Police to Search Kids' Bedrooms for Guns
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Coming soon to Boston: Police in your children’s bedrooms.
Police are starting a program to search homes in high-crime areas, without a warrant, for weapons in children’s bedrooms, the Boston Globe reports.
The teenagers found to be in possession of guns will only face charges if the weapon is linked to a shooting or homicide, and parents are given the right to deny the detectives access to their homes.
"I just have a queasy feeling anytime the police try to do an end run around the Constitution," said Thomas Nolan, a former Boston police lieutenant who teaches criminology at Boston University. "The police have restrictions on their authority and ability to conduct searches."
The program was set to take effect within the next two weeks.
it makes me nervous when the government plays around with the constitution. that document is just one match away from us living in fear for our freedom. _________________
if you ask me, there should be no restrictions on when the police should arrive, or that the police dont enter if the family doesnt wish it.
its just a search. nothing more. if youre not hiding anything you shouldnt be afraid. its for everyone's protection. it might feel really odd and quite scary, but just think; its more scary that there is a psycho killer in your midst.
but then, on the part of the police, they should learn to be calm and assuring, and not do more than they ought to. for instance, i dont think they have the right to arrest someone with no warrant of arrest. they also have no right to beat people up if they find weapons in the house. they should first have them explain to the authorities in the local precincts about why they have guns, and determine if they have the authority to possess the weapon.
but as for searching, i think they have a right to search. but they shouldnt abuse their powers. _________________
i somewhat agree, i feel the police should be able to do their jobs without hinderance.
but our rights are always on very shakey ground. maybe if they have a lawyer or a camera to record whats said and done. some police aren't exactly nice especially in low income and high crime areas. _________________
This is a very debatable thing...
I can both agree and disagree with what the Boston police are doing.
For one, i agree that checking teens bedrooms for guns is a great idea. We don't need them waving a pistol around every time something in there life goes wrong, BUT how do the police know that the teens with guns could be found in crime areas ? There are rich kids who buy weapons also, what about them ? This is where my disagreement comes in. Just because the areas full of crime dosen't necessarily mean the criminals live there. I also thinks it's some sort of invasion of privacy on the teens part. Again, this topic is very picky and has its ups and downs. _________________ Peace is a lie. There is only passion.
Through Passion, I gain strength.
Through Strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory my chains are broken.
This is a very debatable thing...
I can both agree and disagree with what the Boston police are doing.
For one, i agree that checking teens bedrooms for guns is a great idea. We don't need them waving a pistol around every time something in there life goes wrong, BUT how do the police know that the teens with guns could be found in crime areas ? There are rich kids who buy weapons also, what about them ? This is where my disagreement comes in. Just because the areas full of crime dosen't necessarily mean the criminals live there. I also thinks it's some sort of invasion of privacy on the teens part. Again, this topic is very picky and has its ups and downs.
thats why i posted it lol
and i whole heartedly agree
i feel it should be the parents doing the snooping.. (hear that damian mommy is gonna snoop all the time!!!) even if the cops are there it should be the parents who actually go thru the stuff.
and parents... SNOOP!! my kid is 16 mos and i plan on checking his toybox for unwanted things later. if you love your children you will invade their privacy and snoop. it may save their life someday. _________________
but not all parents do that. sometimes, it is up to the police.
well yeah i agree that every house should be visited. but if resources are scarce (which i doubt is the case in the US), then the main targets should be the crime spots, or houses of people who have had cases already, whether they were falsely accused or not.
and sometimes you have to do away with privacy, in exchange for security. i still cant see whats so bad about police searching your house. its not like theyll be checking out your sex videos, or check your bathroom while your showering. and yes i agree a lawyer or someone should be there to make sure that the police dont abuse their authority. _________________
While it may seem plausible to let the police search without a warrant or consent because you have nothing to hide and shouldn't be afraid... it makes it very easy for dirty cops to plant evidence. Granted, more illegal things could be found, but it would not be perfect because things like that can happen.
I've got nothing to hide either... but I don't want just anyone going through my room or house. _________________
^ HP Chat & Games
I think it is disciminating for cops to search kid's rooms for guns in only high crime areas.
And the fact that they want to do this without warrants, well it cracks the door open for many other ways to ignore the consitution and our constitutional rights. It crosses the line from the gray area right over to the dark side.
Of course I'd rather the cops be able to stop crime before it happens, but unless they go into every single person's house and check their bedrooms, then there is no way that this idea can possibly be fair and equal. _________________ Blame it on a simple twist of fate. ~ Bob Dylan "To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It's a ritual sacrifice. With pie." ~ Anya <3
i think its better to search people based on the potential threat in their communities, rather than search people because they are poor, non-white, or other such reasons.
however, since this is the US, i think you pretty much have a lot of resources to conduct a thorough search of all US citizens if youre really committed to the idea. its gonna cost much, but it would be worth it... (if you think its gonna be worth it)
as for the abuse of authorities, well there really should be lawyers or whatever... people present to guarantee that these policemen dont abuse their authority. or perhaps a video of the search, or something like that. just so the boss of all these searches will know what exactly is going on when houses are being searched.
privacy will have to take a step backward since safety is of greater importance. anyway, its not like all your private stuff will be searched, like say, your personal computer files or photographs and letters and stuff. what the greater concern should be is "how effective is this gonna be". if its really gonna be effective and worth the cost, then id say, go for it. _________________
i think its better to search people based on the potential threat in their communities, rather than search people because they are poor, non-white, or other such reasons.
The communities that tend to have the highest crime rate are the poorer areas... and teh other stuff.
The cops in those areas are already usually underpaid, so resources are scarce.
Quote:
privacy will have to take a step backward since safety is of greater importance. anyway, its not like all your private stuff will be searched, like say, your personal computer files or photographs and letters and stuff. what the greater concern should be is "how effective is this gonna be". if its really gonna be effective and worth the cost, then id say, go for it.
That's what the fear is, though. They start with the bedrooms in the high crime rate areas, then what? It'll open flood gates for a million other unconstitutional movements. They might as well toss the constitution in teh rubbish bin, which is where it seems to be heading with the way they've been treating it lately. There is a whole amendment that protects our right to privacy... it states clearly in order for cops to search our homes without our permision, they need a warrant. To ignore that amendment, they might as well ignore all the others, which is what they pretty much have been trying to do for the past 6 years, anyway, _________________ Blame it on a simple twist of fate. ~ Bob Dylan "To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It's a ritual sacrifice. With pie." ~ Anya <3
Last edited by GinnyX on November 19, 2007 8:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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