Pubdate: Mon, 25 Jan 2016
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Garry Cooper
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n040/a08.html

FORGET MARIJUANA; ABUSES ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL

My last letter about the constitutional abuses in the enforcement of 
Measure A were not about marijuana, as some of the comments by 
readers implied. It was about the Constitution.

You all need to realize that this private police force created by our 
county, which caused the invasion of thousands of homes with no 
warrant, is very likely the most wide-scale and intrusive violation 
of the civil rights granted to us by the Constitution in the entire 
nation and in all of our lifetimes. Marijuana, guns, tax records or 
any other reason is never cause or justification for such an 
intrusion into the private property of citizens without the proper 
warrant, no matter what your personal stance on such matters are. 
Next might be your home and your beliefs.

This police unit, in most cases when questioned by the landowner, 
failed to state any specific alleged violations of Measure A when 
they raided these properties. So, they were not there as a result of 
a reported violation, as this measure requires, they were there 
because they felt like it with zero legal justification.

Previously, all building complaints required a written complaint, 
kept anonymously, by the building department on file, which now to 
hide police abuse is no longer the case. When questioned by 
Supervisor Bill Connelly, it took three times before code enforcement 
admitted using helicopters, in violation of the "Katz Principle" and 
the Constitution to cover up their actions.

I don't see how the supervisors and others can face themselves.

- - Garry Cooper, Durham
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom