Sunday, August 02, 2009
the threshold
Having spent many of my formative years in less than ideal neighborhoods I can tell you I've seen it used repeatedly for years.
A cop is called to a home because of some suspected illegal activity or disturbance. If the call turns out to be a false alarm the cops don't want to have to log it as such. the police ask if the person will "step outside" for a moment. Now, woudlnt' you think a person would want to stay inside and keep such matters private?
I have see police officesrs question the owner of a property so they "annoy" the person. When the person become loud or asks for the badge number the police office or try to get information from the officer so he can be reported to his superiors the cop walks away - conviently outside of the residence - across the threshold.
Once the person who has been annoyed crosses the threshold the cop arrests him for distrubing the peace.
Apparently the charge can only be made if the person being charged is "in public" not in his own home/residence.
It's a tactic.
And it's wrong.
A cop is called to a home because of some suspected illegal activity or disturbance. If the call turns out to be a false alarm the cops don't want to have to log it as such. the police ask if the person will "step outside" for a moment. Now, woudlnt' you think a person would want to stay inside and keep such matters private?
I have see police officesrs question the owner of a property so they "annoy" the person. When the person become loud or asks for the badge number the police office or try to get information from the officer so he can be reported to his superiors the cop walks away - conviently outside of the residence - across the threshold.
Once the person who has been annoyed crosses the threshold the cop arrests him for distrubing the peace.
Apparently the charge can only be made if the person being charged is "in public" not in his own home/residence.
It's a tactic.
And it's wrong.
