Warrants? What Warrants?

Credit: feverblue / photo on flickr

New Haven, Connecticut, police planned to start breaking into unlocked vehicles and taking any valuables they found. The idea, they said, was to get people to start locking their cars, and they promised to leave notes telling the owners to come to the police station and pick up what had been taken. But after local media reported on the plan, the city attorney advised them not to implement it.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Something tells me the city attorney in fact advised them that the fruits of those illegal searches would be tossed so they decided not to bother.

[LarryA]

Well, they weren't "searches" in the sense they weren't looking for evidence of a crime, so admissibility is moot.

It's more likely the city attorney had a "Look, stupid..." conversation where the PoPo were reminded that:
Breaking into vehicles is burglary (depending on state law),
They would almost certainly be sued for damages to the car and anything in it,
The owner of any car they broke into could demand the return of the $10,000 dollars he claimed was in the console,
And the whole thing would be a frickin massive PR nightmare,

So if they ever come up with another dumbass idea like that again to ask the city attorney about it before they told anyone else.

[Radioactive]

but they can keep the good stuff, right? and any food too?

[Nick W B]

When you need your attorney to tell you that you shouldn't break into people's cars, something is wrong.

[Jake Stone]

Get this: "....there's a *caretaker* provision in state law that allows them to do it"

That is the most disgusting thing I think I have ever heard. Please big Daddy gubmint.... Take care of me....

[josh]

it would honestly be worth it, when he said that bit about the "caretaker" provision, to punch him as hard as i could. i'd plead insanity or maybe self defense...not sure, but it would totally be worth it.

[Scarecrow & WoodChipper Repair]

Go for it! I'd be leaving mouse traps inside Saks Fifth Avenue sacks, or garbage and poo inside gift wrapped boxes.

[croaker]

And you would be arrested.

[Hi there!]

"Officer Trevor, Officer Corey, got a little job for you....nothing big, just a little B&E..."

[Hank Phillips]

Don't they call it "sharing?"

[josh]

i think the training process might have a few flaws in that department....