Indianapolis SWAT Officer Loses His Assault Rifle
Well here we go again.
Just like in Florida last month we have a case where a police officer's weapons were stolen from his car. According to WISH-TV:
"The officer was attending a church function when the thieves broke into his vehicle and took the guns. One was a Christmas present for the officer's son. The other was the officer's police issued AR-15 assault rifle."
Luckily these guns have been recovered. But again you have to wonder why they were not better secured.
Given all the narcisistic SWAT team shows everybody knows the cops keep their assault rifles lying around in their trunks. One wonders why they weren't better secured by a locking rack. Gun owners who respect the responsibility of owning a firearm usually have guns safes in their homes. Further they don't advertise where their guns are kept as on the SWAT glam-shows.
I also think there's some irony here. The cop involved had bought his son a rifle for Christmas. Personally I think that is a great thing and hopefully his son will be well trained and enjoy firearms throughout his life, whether for target shooting, hunting or self protection.
But (and here's the irony I see) if your house is invaded by a SWAT team - say for instance one of the many wrong address raids - the police will confiscate your legally owned firearms (read that steal - because you will never, ever get them back again - they just "disappear") and make a big splash in the paper seeking to justify their actions by saying "such and such firearms were recovered".
It is one of their typical tactics - they f*ck up - but then attempt to discredit the homeowner by saying he had guns implying the person was a "bad guy" - oops I mean a "Tango" - that's the proper cool term used by SWAT Teams.
Oh and if you ever do want to see your "confiscated" legally owned firearms again - try hanging around gun ranges where cops shoot - you'll find they really enjoy using your treasured stolen property.
Nick
Labels: Police, police abuse, shooting, SWAT, Swat Team, Swat Team Abuses
posted by Nick Charles @ 12:32 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Do you really believe that the police keep seized firearms for personal use? That is what your implying.
The firearms do not disappear there is a property hearing with a judge who decides if the gun can go back to a owner.
There's a difference between private property seized for evidence and confiscated. You are correct in the former case.
In the latter you are simply wrong.
Lets say a SWAT team raids your place of business on a tip that an employee has pot on her. As part of their ransacking and destroying your private property they come across your legally owned firearm kept for self protection. It has nothing to do with the alledged crime - nor do you. But because of the drug laws (I do not support drug use) your firearm will be confiscated. Let's also say you have $10,000 in cash in your office desk to be deposited that night.
As "drug booty" your firearm and cash will be confiscated and never seen again. YOU have to bear the expense and time of suing to recover for your loss. So you get f*cked twice.
Look at you local annual police report on their websites. Most will have a report about the wonderful things they did in the last year (as would any organization). You will usually see a page or two about the money and firearms seized (many are legally owned guns). The funds from these seizures and property go to the police to help in the "drug war".
An amazing incentive for fraud and theft by those who happen to be bad cops.
Not only do I beleive it - I know it for a fact.
You sure do like to exaggerate. Why would a SWAT team raid a business because an employee has Marihuana on them.
1. Were they selling drugs from the business?
2. Did an undercover officer see the firearm?
I guess we are more civilized in Oregon than Texas.
Perhaps you are uneducated. Try reading this book it is just one of hundreds on the topic.
Do they have books in Oregon? I know its kind of backward but you can probably get a book shipped there by pony express. (Actually it is beautiful country).
Cato Store Home
Forfeiting Our Property Rights: Is Your Property Safe from Seizure?
By Rep. Henry J. Hyde
Could the government seize your property?
Original Retail Price: $8.95
Price: $2.25
Publication Date: April 1995
ISBN: 1-882577-19-1
Number of Pages: 100
Paperback
Categories: Constitutional Studies, Online Book Specials
About the Book
Most people don't know it, but the government can take people's homes, cars, and money without charging them with a crime -- and the burden of recovery is on the owners!
In Forfeiting Our Property Rights, Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois examines the abuse inherent in civil forfeiture, the law that lets government take property that is merely suspected of having "facilitated" crime. Hyde shows how forfeiture law has cost innocent people their property and at least one citizen, Donald Scott, his life. In fact, over a quarter of a million Americans have had their property seized through forfeiture law.
Congressman Hyde proposes an overhaul of the law to protect innocent property owners, including a shift in the burden of proof from citizen to the government and a raising of the standard the government must satisfy to seize property in the first place. This alarm on behalf of our threatened civil liberties and rights couldn't be more timely.
About the Author
Congressman Henry J. Hyde represents the 6th Congressional District of Illinois.
What Others Have Said
"The stories in this book will make your blood boil. Is this America at the close of the 20th century? If is seems more like medieval Europe, when lords held all but unaccountable power over their subjects, it is because that is the origin of modern American forfeiture law. Revived and driven by the war on drugs, that law today is being used across this nation to make a mockery of our rights to property and due process, and is now reaching well beyond the war on drugs. It is to the credit of Henry Hyde -- no pandering liberal he -- that a spotlight is shining at last on this dark corner of our law."
--Roger Pilon, from the Foreword
Oh and one other thing to help you become educated. On your question about SWAT team abuse - just go to:
http://www.cato.org/raidmap/
Let it load, select "all" in all three search categories and submit.
Then start reading and become a little smarter......
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