Oakland cops: Mind if we search your house for guns?

[jeromechickenbone]

http://www.blacklistednews.com/view.asp?ID=6192

Source: Inside Bay Area

OAKLAND _ A six-month pilot program where Oakland police officers would knock on doors and ask permission to search homes for guns got the green light from the City Council's public safety committee Tuesday night.

It goes to the full council Tuesday, when the council will meet at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.
The consent-to-search program, as it is called, is based closely on a similar effort launched in St. Louis in 1994 and on ongoing programs in Boston and Washington, D.C. The idea is simple: To ask parents for permission to search their homes for weapons their children may be hiding.

Under the program, officers would request permission to search homes for guns. Guns would be taken away, but officers would not pursue prosecution unless the weapon was tied to a crime.

The St. Louis effort fizzled after initial success, but Oakland's Deputy Police Chief David Kozicki said that in Washington, police officers say they cannot keep up with requests from parents to search their homes. Such is the interest in the program, he said.

Councilwoman Patricia Kernighan (Grand Lake-Chinatown), who is on the public safety committee, said she was surprised to hear that and hoped Oakland might see the same results.

``I think it's worth trying and seeing what the community reaction is,'' she said. ``If it's embraced as a way to get guns off the street, great. If people don't want to cooperate, then we don't continue the program.''

Kernighan and

Councilwoman Desley Brooks (Eastmont-Seminary) asked the Police Department to look into the possibility of a consent-to-search program in February.
The police department is proposing a six-month trial period for the program beginning in either June or July, probably somewhere in West Oakland.

Lt. Kirt Mullnix said the program, which would be launched during summer break, would largely be operated by Campus Life and School Safety (CLASS) officers, who normally patrol in and around schools.

It also could involve department problem-solving officers as well. All told, six to 10 officers would be used in the effort, Mullnix said. He didn't anticipate additional overtime being billed to the city.

Consent-to-search programs are not without controversy. Oakland civil-rights attorney John Burris criticized the idea when asked about it in February. And the American Civil Liberties Union has protested programs in other cities. Mark Schlosberg, police practices policy director for the ACLU of Northern California, said the organization would pay close attention to what happens in Oakland.

"There are a whole host of reasons why people might not want police to search their homes," he said. "But people might not know they have a right not to consent."

City and police officials stressed it would be important to educate community members about how the program works before implementing it and said providing education and outreach would be a priority.

Under the program, if guns were found, police would take them away, but not pursue prosecution unless the gun in question was tied to a shooting or homicide.

``The important thing is you're looking at removing guns from the streets to prevent future violence,'' Mullnix said. ``You're giving up arrest and prosecution for less violence in the future. It's another tool we can use. There's a lot of gun violence in Oakland and that's why we're trying it.''

Contact Kelly Rayburn at (510) 208-6435 or krayburn@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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[virtuoso]

You know how it's going to go also, most people are ignorant of their rights and so if at first the person refuses to allow the cops to enter the property, they will play on the persons ignorance by saying fine, are you going to make me get a warrant? this will be worse for you if I have to get a warrant, looks very suspicious for you. At which point most people will panic in the face of what they think is their actions leading to legal trouble for them and so most people will just willingly comply. I talk about starvation from food, or perishing from violence but starve the brain of basic fundamental knowledge and it will probably kill you first.

[LooN3y]

You know how it's going to go also, most people are ignorant of their rights and so if at first the person refuses to allow the cops to enter the property, they will play on the persons ignorance by saying fine, are you going to make me get a warrant? this will be worse for you if I have to get a warrant, looks very suspicious for you. At which point most people will panic in the face of what they think is their actions leading to legal trouble for them and so most people will just willingly comply. I talk about starvation from food, or perishing from violence but starve the brain of basic fundamental knowledge and it will probably kill you first.

most people will deny them, and if they do get a warrent all the bad stuff would be gone by then.

[virtuoso]

If they do, that's excellent, this is all about conditioning, if they fall at the first hurdle, it might make them pause for breath and realise people will not roll over.

[LooN3y]

If they do, that's excellent, this is all about conditioning, if they fall at the first hurdle, it might make them pause for breath and realise people will not roll over.

yea espicailly with koreans, they would juz shut the door on them if they didnt have a warrent, im sure mostpeople n general would too.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

If my house needs to be searched for my child's gun, I'll do it. Fuck the police ever stepping into my house without a warrant. Most people wouldn't allow them in, but their are a few idiots...

[zilla]

They did that to me with every run-in I had with the law.. now they just raid my house randomly.. and ofcourse they're quick to pin other shit on you when they find something else that isn't related to any of your cases.. invasion of privacy at its finest.. but it's justified with a "probable cause".. and I'm on the other side of the bay.. the shit happenin in Oakland with the cops is ridiculous.. it will only bring more violence to the town.. this time against authority!

[MarkCruz]

They did that to me with every run-in I had with the law.. now they just raid my house randomly.. and ofcourse they're quick to pin other shit on you when they find something else that isn't related to any of your cases.. invasion of privacy at its finest.. but it's justified with a "probable cause".. and I'm on the other side of the bay.. the shit happenin in Oakland with the cops is ridiculous.. it will only bring more violence to the town.. this time against authority!

LMAO, NO COMMENTS.

[Turf Hitta]

LOL Nobody in The Town is gonna let the police into their house just because they ask to. LMAO do these muthafuckas even know anybody from Oakland? Folks in The Town aint goin for that shit!

[Sparegeez]

Waste of time and money

[MoreSwaggerThanMickJagger]

They did that to me with every run-in I had with the law.. now they just raid my house randomly.. and ofcourse they're quick to pin other shit on you when they find something else that isn't related to any of your cases.. invasion of privacy at its finest.. but it's justified with a "probable cause".. and I'm on the other side of the bay.. the shit happenin in Oakland with the cops is ridiculous.. it will only bring more violence to the town.. this time against authority!

What a lame

[zilla]

the fuck? y'all some internet weenies.. I swear.. that's the reason I ain't been on this shit forever.. why even discuss shit on this bitch? I'm out.

[MarkCruz]

the fuck? y'all some internet weenies.. I swear.. that's the reason I ain't been on this shit forever.. why even discuss shit on this bitch? I'm out.