The current conduct and policy of our law enforcement agencies is reminiscent of the standing armies that our founders feared. There are two specific areas in which federal money should be used to compel state and local law enforcement to abandon their current policies and more closely align with our 4th amendment rights as citizens.
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Ending “No Knock” raid actions nationwide.
a. For too long officers have been conducting “no knock” raids in communities across the country. They say that this is for “evidence preservation” of some other equally dubious excuse. They conduct these raids in early morning hours and far too often officers raid the wrong address and find themselves in shootouts with armed homeowners, often veterans. Citizens of this nation should not have to live in fear of defending their homes from incompetent law enforcement who arrive at the wrong address with license to kill.
b. Exceptions: Clearly there will be cases where “no knock” procedures would be appropriate. However, in order to create significantly increased scrutiny on this, judges that sign these “no knock” warrants must also surrender their qualified immunity. This would make judges accept PERSONAL civil liability in cases where officers damage property, injure innocent citizens, or kill innocent citizens. -
Ending the use of military fatigues by law enforcement units
a. Citizens should not be confused whether the military or police are conducting an action. The use of olive drab or multicam camouflage should be immediately suspended. Black, blue, and grey should be the only acceptable colors for law enforcement use.
b. Exceptions: Policing actions being conducted in rural areas or wooded areas where law enforcement must engage a violent criminal, where a confrontation is likely, should be permitted to wear the appropriate concealing attire with the expressed written permission of first elected official in the chain of command. The citizens need to be able to hold the policing organizations to account if this excepted criteria is abused.