Boulder Police Believe an Open Door is Consent to Enter Home

A rather novel interpretation of "reasonable suspicion"

Boulder residents who intentionally leave their doors open, may unintentionally be inviting a Boulder police officer in for a visit.

Chrissy Smiley learned this fact in surprising fashion on Thursday afternoon when she returned to her south Boulder condo after a 40-minute walk with her dogs to find a card from a Boulder police officer sitting on her dining room table.

Disturbed by the discovery, Smiley said she quickly called the officer back to ask why he had entered her home without her permission.

"He was very nice. He said he had come back to follow up on another officer who had been there for something and he felt he had probable cause to make sure that I was safe," Smiley said, adding the she found the officer's explanation unsettling.

(Hat tip to Reason commenter Andrew S.)

Comments

[Res Publica Americana]

An open door is probable cause? Really?

[taxed]

Also, her bedroom door was open so the officer took this to mean the woman consented to sexual intercourse.

[Floridian]

Hey, if you don't want to get raped then you should be wearing jeans with a zipper lock.

[Free Society]

Did you see the pajamas she was wearing? She was practically begging the police to forcefully enter her and her home.

[Bean Counter]

Boulder, Colorado - gateway to the new police state. It's only good use is it keeps the hippies out of Denver.

[Robert]

This is one of those cases where it pays to read the full story. There was more to it. They didn't just see an open front door. They were trying to serve her for no-leash and dog duty violations, and went around the back; it was that door that was slid open.