I bet you bottom dollar that they would never pull this stunt in the well to do neighborhoods

[MrScorpio]

La Porte County Sheriff: Sweep helped officers gather information about neighborhood

By Matt Fritz
Published: Friday, August 13, 2010 12:28 PM CDT
Staff writer

1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13887

[e-mail]

LA PORTE — During a recent neighborhood sweep in the city of La Porte, officers and deputies from the La Porte Police and County Sheriff’s departments stopped people at random to check their IDs.

But some area residents have been questioning the legality of such a sweep, and whether or not officers had the right to do what they did.

So exactly what can police officers and sheriff’s deputies do in Indiana?

According to La Porte County Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer, who helped conduct the sweep along with the La Porte Police Department, they have the right to stop people on public property whether it be on the sidewalk or the street, and ask for their IDs. This also goes for whether they’re on foot or in the car.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://heraldargus.com/articles/2010/08/14/news/local/doc4c6429e4b2444878655345.txt

[hankthecrank]

1. ok Mr. Gates let see those papers, yeah yeah your a citizen

they all say that

[MrScorpio]

3. I just LOVE this part

He said if someone refused to show his ID, officers would not arrest him unless there was a reasonable suspicion of crime, or the person committed an infraction or ordinance violation. But they would try and find out who that person was and why he didn’t show them his ID. He said that’s rarely a problem because most people comply with an officer’s request.

Basically, cough up an ID, or we'll make life very uncomfortable for you, whether you've committed a crime or not.

[Gman]

2. "But some area residents have been questioning the legality of such a sweep..."

As if there is any legal question whatsoever unresolved by none less than the Supreme Court that this is highly illegal.

[ThomCat]

5. Clearly they don't care that it's illegal.

They are counting on the people in that neighborhood being unable to get the resources necessary to sue them.

They have power, the people in that neighborhood don't. Who are the people in that neighborhood going to call, the police?

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
"Who watches the watchmen" when the watchmen are clearly corrupt? :(

[Riftaxe]

7. Cite precedence that Terry vs Ohio

and Hiibel vs Nevada 6th JDC have been overturned, please.

I am unaware of any changes by the supreme court to the effect that you are declaring and i follow it fairly closely.

[Gman]

14. Terry v Ohio was not overturned that I know of

Perhaps I was unclear. I'm saying that the police do not have the right to do this.

----on edit---------- I would have been a whole lot clearer if I had simply said, "the illegality of this". Horrible wording. Sorry.

[KansasVoter]

4. I hope the ACLU is all over this!!!

[leveymg]

6. Occupation policing. This is the antithesis of good community police relations.

If anyone knocked on my door and asked for my ID without reasonable suspicion that a crime was in progress, I'd ask them for their ID and the name of their supervisor, and tell them to get off my property while I called the Precinct Captain.

Unprofessional and illegal behavior.

[Warpy]

8. I actually went through one of these years ago in Boston

They were going door to door doing a sweep looking for the idiots who robbed banks and killed a guard, among them Susan Saxe and Kathy Powers.

I told them to slide the warrant under the door so I could read it.

They left.

[quinnox]

9. For the crime of living in a poor neighborhood you will

be asked to produce identification at any time by the police! It is what the Fatherland demands!

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Here, they have traffic "checkpoints", calling it a "DUI Safety Campaign".

And not just on a main highway. They ran one 2 blocks from my house in our neighborhood.
Driver's license, registration, insurance, produce them or else.
It has been going on at least since 1986 that I personally know of.
More of a money generator for the city coffers, I suspect.
And of course no "probable cause" needed.

We are slowly being acclimatized to "papers please" and GPS in our cars, even on our bodies, low flying spy
sorties, wiretapping, etc.

If you have not seen Minority Report, it is a good time watch it and to glimpse the very near future.

[MrScorpio]

11. I saw it at the theater when it was out

Yep, I know what you're talking about.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Still haunts me, as I watch more of the devices become reality.

[JoeyT]

13. They also use them to search cars.

Next time you hit a checkpoint watch your rearview. While one cop is demanding your papers, another is on the passenger side shining a flashlight into your back seat.

You know...for officer safety. In case you have a small child hiding in the floorboard with a shotgun.