Sat, 29 March 2008 
Amnesty Offered for Access to Homes By Allison Klein D.C. police are so eager to get guns out of the city that they're offering amnesty to people who allow officers to come into their homes and get the weapons. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced yesterday the Safe Homes Initiative, aimed at parents and guardians who know or suspect that their children or other relatives have guns. Under the deal, police target areas hit by violence and seek adults who let them search their homes for guns, with no risk of arrest. The offer also applies to drugs that turn up during the searches, police said. The program is scheduled to start March 24 in the Washington Highlands area of Southeast Washington. Officers will go door-to-door seeking permission to search homes for weapons. Police later plan to visit other areas, including sections of Columbia Heights in Northwest and Eckington in Northeast. "If we come across illegal contraband, we will confiscate it," Lanier said. "But amnesty means amnesty. We're trying to get guns and drugs off the street." Fenty (D) and Lanier announced the plan as part of a new strategy to deal with the prevalence of firearms in a city that has one of the strictest gun control laws in the nation. The Supreme Court will hear arguments next week in a case challenging the constitutionality of the D.C. law. Residents who agree to the searches will be asked to sign consent forms. If guns are found, they will be tested to determine whether they were used in crimes. If the results are positive, police will launch investigations, which could lead to charges. Boston police are embarking on a similar program this month. Police in that city have been meeting with residents before the door-to-door effort begins. Philadelphia police are considering such an initiative. Ronald Hampton, executive director of the National Black Police Association, questioned the Washington effort. As a lifelong D.C. resident and a former police officer, he said, he would not consent to his house being searched. "They haven't earned that level of access or respect from the community," Hampton said. "I just can't believe they're trying to do that. I've never heard of anything like that in my life." Arthur B. Spitzer, legal director of the Washington office of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the program is "a very bad idea." He said officers might act so aggressively that residents feel coerced into letting them in. "It sends the message to the public that the police ought to be able to search your house anytime for any reason," Spitzer said. "People will be intimidated. That cheapens civil liberties and privacy for everyone." At a news conference, Fenty and Lanier also said police will host monthly meetings with other law enforcement agencies to identify trends in gun-related crimes and to facilitate information sharing. The goal is to identify repeat offenders and find new ways to stop them, Lanier said. "It should give us a much clearer picture of how to coordinate our efforts," she said. Police also announced the creation of an anonymous hotline for people to call with information about crimes. The line, 888-919-CRIME, is staffed by detectives. In the coming weeks, the department is planning to set up a system through which the public can send tips as text messages. "We want to make sure the community has every means necessary to get in touch with us," Lanier said. View all comments that have been posted about this article. Direct download: D.C._Seeks_Consent_To_Search_for_Guns_-_Safe_Homes_Initiative.mp3 Category: general -- posted at: 11:15 AM Comments[1] |
D.C. Seeks Consent To Search for Guns
D.C. police are so eager to get guns out of the city that they're offering amnesty to people who allow officers to come into their homes and get the weapons.
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By Allison Klein
Comments
informed1 wrote:
As a law enforcement member this proposed idea is the most ridiculous and embarressing idea I have heard yet. The roll calls across the city are screaming for more officers to patrol the streets, where does Lanier propose the officers to conduct these random searches will come from. Unfortunately her job depends on Fenty, so undoubtedly this is his idea. Once again this moron comes up with a bone-headed idea. Thank God he will be one-term and done. Sorry to say but LAnier will follow out the door. If given the chance I / we believe in her but she will always be associated with the mayor.
3/15/2008 2:46:45 PM
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bentettris wrote:
This is simply put, the most moronic idea I have ever come accross in my reading the news. How would people not feel some level of intimidation. If they say no, the cops just open an investigation. I pray this idea shows itself to be a miserable failure. And Fenty and Lanier need to go back to their box as this out of the box approach is just embarrassing. Honestly, all the education between those two and this is the best they can come up with. They have no idea how to solve crimes so they just bully the citizenry. Pathetic. Fenty needs to be a one term mayor and Lanier, well, she should go back to walking a beat.
3/15/2008 3:38:54 AM
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hotezzy wrote:
This is another stupid idea that has not a chance of making a dent in the violence perpetuated by guns in this city and country. It is another waste of DC resources because once again the criminals are not and will not give up their guns and citizens will not have any way to protect themselves from the criminals. Perhaps a better focus would be on the violent socialization of our young people through violence in all of these video games which are teaching our children that everyone should respond to all situations using violence of some kind or the other. Secondly, the city needs to restore positive social and recreational activities which keep the children involved in positive, productive social and recreational activities everyday. There is nothing but violence and boredom around for most of the poor and underpriviledged children in the city. Citizens in DC need guns to protect themselves -- end of story.
3/14/2008 9:48:00 PM
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DCRebel1 wrote:
I'm beyond pissed about this and won't go into a rant about why it's beyond ludicrous. Rather, I'd like to propose an idea. I am seriously interested in passing out flyers around Columbia Heights and Washington Heights informing citizens (in English and Spanish) of their 4th Amendment rights. Would anyone be interested in helping? Email me at letsfixdc (at) gmail (dot) com
3/14/2008 7:04:27 PM
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dashriprock wrote:
This is a Joke,
If you want to rid the city of crime,then change the Liberal laws and Judges. And realy put the hammer down,on the criminals. Any crime involving a hand gun is a life sentience without parole!!!
1st degree Murder by any means is,a automatic death sentience!!!! 2nd degree murder is automatic life. See if the thugs are willing, to pay the price for there so called "street cred"
If some of you think I'm nuts, how is your way working ?
3/14/2008 5:17:12 PM
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spimby wrote:
Sounds like D.C.'s gun ban is working eh?
3/14/2008 2:23:17 PM
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dbasile wrote:
What people don't realize is how easy it is to gain access to someone's home. Did anyone know that if a bomb, drugs, anything illegal is sent to your house, regardless of whether you know or not, can then just go into your house and search away. If the govt really wants into your house and your business unfortunately they will make the laws bend toward them and call it national security reasons. Of course everyone should just still say no to the search but its food for thought.
3/14/2008 1:22:53 PM
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kal-el wrote:
Many of the guns that the younger people have may have been involved in crimes that these kids dont even know about. Parents and guardians may be sending their own love ones to jail for a crime that they did not commit. Police just need to do their job, and stop looking toward street cameras and the citizens to do their job for them. I know police officers dont get paid much money, but should the citizzens of DC have to step up and help them with their jobs that they perform illegally and poorly in many cases?
3/14/2008 12:54:08 PM
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drewhitt wrote:
Is Fenty and Lanier Serious? Who in their rabbit--- mind would let the police search their house, when 9 times out of 10 something illegal will be found! I lived in D.C for over 20 years and my family has rental houses, just one month ago the house my family stayed in for over 15 year was being cleaned out and we found 4,500 hundred dollars in old bills and a saturday night special wrapped in plastic and burlap! I dont know if a murder suspect, drug dealer, rapist, or whoever owned that gun, so when they had the last gun collection at the church i went and recieved my hundred dollars and went about my bussiness!I dont feel comfortable with you coming to my house knowing all information, possibly charging me or my family members with a crime that i had nothing to do with!
3/14/2008 12:29:21 PM
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lorddunsmore wrote:
So, the MPD already has a pretty good idea of who the criminals are and where they live? Not enough evidence to get a warrant to search and arrest? Try stakeouts and informats? Too lazy? Fire the lazy and hire real cops. Confiscate guns? Criminals will go get new ones without being arrested. Only in DC!
3/14/2008 9:23:21 AM
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royalcx wrote:
wardofthecourt,
It is precisely because one has nothing to hide that the police have no business entering, much less asking to enter, the premises for a broad, open-ended search. At least with a search warrant, the scope of the search is fixed. Your logic is both skewed and flawed.
3/14/2008 9:15:32 AM
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ahashburn wrote:
wardofthecourt wrote:
"Well, if one is indeed a law abiding, tax paying citizen and resident of the District of Columbia and has absolutely nothing to hide, why not let them in?"
Please let us know how your search went and don't come crying here is they find something other than guns or drugs to arrest you on.
3/14/2008 8:38:54 AM
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fredsndrs wrote:
Has DC gone completely crazy?Talk about 1984 coming.
3/14/2008 7:36:41 AM
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SKINS4EVER wrote:
I admire the Fenty administration's desire to rid DC's worst neighborhoods of guns, but invading residents privacy is not the right way.
Within the last few months there have been some disturbing developments. First, residents were made aware that the DC Police were monitoring live CCTV feeds without the consent of the DC City Council or awareness of DC residents. Now, we have the "gestapo" style invasion of residential homes on the docket.
If there are guns and drugs inside the home and people want them removed, they could simply remove the items themselves. Obviously, Fenty and Lanier have chosen specific areas to concentrate on in hopes of finding contraband.
Now, I think we all know the poor record the DCPD has of respecting individual rights and freedoms. What if a resident refuses, hell if all residents refuse, access to their PRIVATE homes? Will there be subtle or not so subtle intimidation? Will those who refuse to grant access be placed on a list?
Once again, Mr. Fenty and Ms. Lanier are turning DC into their personal fiefdom and making us all less safe in our personal lives. The drug problem is not going to disappear because someone gives you a dime bag and a BB gun. Only the decriminalization and government takeover of the drug trade will reduce or eradicate the violence and begin to widen the access to treatment for those who chose to attend or are forced to by court order.
No matter how many guns or dime bags are seized by violating personal freedoms, even under the guise of "permission", the dual plagues of violent crime and drugs will not go away.
It really is time to radically alter our ways of thinking about crime and justice before we surrender our freedoms to a corrupt government system and its police force. All DC residents need to fight to secure their neighborhoods from thugs and the drugs and violence they bring down upon us all, but this plan is the wrong way.
3/13/2008 11:47:54 PM
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k_romulus wrote:
outstanding analysis (again) Zippy!!!!
3/13/2008 11:18:46 PM
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zippypinhead1 wrote:
Never a dull moment in D.C. law enforcement...
*IF* (and that's a big "if") the police obtain valid consent from a person with actual or apparent authority to permit a search of the premises, this program likely passes Constitutional muster. The police have been doing consent searches without probable cause for many decades, and every law student taking criminal procedure studies several Supreme Court cases laying out the basic outlines of what you can and cannot do legally under the Fourth Amendment. The basic principles are fairly clear, although there is still some gray around the edges as to what is "voluntary," the scope of consent, and in this case, the scope of any "transactional immunity" arising from police promises to not file charges stemming from contraband discovered during the searches. If nothing else, I'm guessing this program is going to ramp up the workload at the Public Defender's office and the U.S. Attorney's Office with all of the new motions practice they'll have.
But leaving aside the legality, this program is, to put it bluntly, bizarre. I suspect that it's eventually going to end in failure. There are a LOT of ways this could turn out badly, ranging from an eventual decision to quietly give up the program because it hasn't led to enough benefits to justify the huge resource commitment at various levels of the criminal justice system, all the way to some cops getting killed one day when junior upstairs takes exception to grandma letting MPD in the front door to take away his MAC-11.
I just hope the Washington Post regularly follows up to see what really happens with this program. And looks skeptically at whatever self-serving announcements those invested in this program are making along the way.
Yet another reason to be thankful if you live on the south (a/k/a sane) side of the Potomac River.
3/13/2008 6:05:16 PM
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Bill22042 wrote:
Wardof the Court sounds like they would have welcomed Hitler's style of law and order. After all good Germans are not whiners.
3/13/2008 5:29:21 PM
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Bill22042 wrote:
Not surprising. So fearful of the Supreme court actually saying the 2nd Amendment is about individual rights, the Fentyites are hoping to intimidate people into waiving their 4th Amendment rights by intimidation. Consentual searches are a risky undertaking for LE. I hope they are recording each encounter since claims of duress will be easy to make.
Yes, the unspoken intimidation of returning with a warrant and being prosecuted, but if you waive or GIVE UP your rights we will let you have amnesty. Whgat is not said is that they will need probable cause for the warrant, and just refusing a consentual search is no other evidence of crime may not be seen by a magistrate as probable cause.
Just say NO! Nagin tried a variation of this after Katrina in NO and lost.
On the up side, it will be entertaining to watch the ACLU gyrate on this. They hate the 2nd Amendment, but love the 4th... what to do, what to do...
3/13/2008 5:25:40 PM
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concernedaboutdc wrote:
If you let them in, be sure and put away all of your valuables. Some of these cops are shady. For me, no police access to ANY personal property by permission, only by WARRANT. I do like, no love, my civil liberties.
3/13/2008 4:56:32 PM
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RCawdor57 wrote:
I have read through several pages of comments and it is shocking to me that many of you are not simply outraged by this "Voluntary Search". First and foremost this is a violation of the 4th amendment to the U.S. Constitution and EVERYONE should say "NO" no matter what. You NEVER give up your rights. EVER. We have become a nation of sheeple where we do whatever the police tell us to. Everyone should immediately learn your rights and stand up for them. Go to Amazon.com and get a good book on your rights. Heck, get "You & The Police" by Boston T. Party and it covers every situation you can imagine dealing with our wonderful "Police State" agencies. I NEVER consent to searches of any kind and I NEVER allow them in my front door without a warrant. People, become aware of your rights and FIGHT for them! Millions of Americans have died for these rights that so many of us are tossing aside as if they were nothing. Knowledge is power. Also, remember that as people of this country we have the RIGHT to oppose and overthrow our government if it becomes tyrannical or out of control (I.E. Communist). Get educated people and fight for your rights.
3/13/2008 4:24:32 PM
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posted by: D.C. Seeks Consent To Search for Guns on Thu, 3/27 10:00 AM EDT
