The Washington Post reports that Washington, D.C. police will soon be going door-to-door in certain areas of the city, requesting permission from residents to search their home for guns and drugs. In return for consenting to the search, people will be given amnesty for any illegal guns or drugs that turn up during the search.
The program is called the Safe Homes Initiative, and is targeted at areas of the city hit hard by violence.
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.
...
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.
I applaud the police department's desire to reduce gun violence; that is certainly a worthy goal. However, I believe that this plan is a very bad idea. This is yet another step on the slippery road to losing all of our freedoms.
First and foremost, there's the not-so-small matter of the Bill of Rights.
Amendment IVThe searches carried out under the Safe Homes Initiative will be warrant-less searches. I would also argue that they are unreasonable. Why are they unreasonable? Because a person's right to the privacy of their home trumps the government's desire to locate and confiscate illegal items. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America is one of the basic building blocks that this country is built upon, and this program tosses it right out the window and then tramples all over it.
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.
"But wait," you say, "the searches are optional - a person can refuse the police's request." Well, yes, they can. But who's to say that the police won't make note of those houses refusing their requests, and then use that list at a later date to keep a closer eye on certain people or houses, or otherwise cause adverse affects on the people that refused the searches. "Give me a break; the police wouldn't do that!" We'd like to think that. But we have no way of knowing. In case you hadn't noticed, corruption isn't exactly unheard of in government offices and police departments these days.
And then what about all of the people who do consent to the searches? Don't you think it is likely that some people will feel pressured or coerced into giving their consent? Sad as it may be, not everyone has the gumption to deny a police request that they want to deny. And there are probably some people that won't even realize that they have the right to deny the search.
Frankly, this plan is an insult to the citizens of Washington, D.C., and I wish they would protest this plan in outrage, and band together to deny every single search request. I read somewhere - possibly in the above-linked Washington Post article, possibly elsewhere - that this plan is aimed at parents who suspect their children may possess guns or drugs. Well, how does this idea sound? If you suspect your kids are in possession of guns or drugs - search your house yourself. Don't let the police in to do it for you. If you find guns or drugs in your house and don't know what to do at that point, then call the police at that point if you feel comfortable with reporting it to them - but make sure you understand the potential ramifications before making the call.
It all boils down to this: the police should not be searching your home - EVER - without a warrant. And they shouldn't be asking to search your home without a warrant either.
