# Ordered back into my home, by armed police officers! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118 "2015-06-10T00:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/21 "2015-06-10T16:02:37Z")
**Leaffan** is right and that University of Sydney web page mentioned by **Sam Lowry** is wrong, because it doesn’t distinguish between handguns and long-guns. Carrying of long-guns in public is generally legal in Canada, but not open carry of hand-guns. A person with a hand-gun licence can only possess the hand-gun (a) at the person’s home; (b) at a firing range; © in direct transit between the home and the firing range. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/22 "2015-06-10T16:03:59Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > **Leaffan** is right and that University of Sydney web page mentioned by **Sam Lowry** is wrong, because it doesn’t distinguish between handguns and long-guns. Carrying of long-guns in public is generally legal in Canada, but not open carry of hand-guns. A person with a hand-gun licence can only possess the hand-gun (a) at the person’s home; (b) at a firing range; (c) in direct transit between the home and the firing range. Okay, that makes more sense then. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/23 "2015-06-10T17:24:57Z")
That kind of response has happened a few times in the last year in Moncton but given the[incident last yea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Moncton_shootings)r I can see why the RCMP are taking possible weapon calls very seriously. I wonder if some of the suggestions that came out of the investigation of that incident are leading to a more militarized response in other areas of Canada. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/24 "2015-06-10T19:06:32Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Yup. > > [Seminole High School locked down after student brings mercury-filled thermometer to class for chemistry project.](http://archive.wtsp.com/news/local/article/285396/8/School-locked-down-over-thermometer) Pinellas County is notoriously stupid, and has been for years. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/25 "2015-06-10T20:56:49Z")
> [@Lowdown](#): > > Four cops with weapons drawn doing a sweep of your neighborhood and you thought it was a good idea to watch/go near windows?! my thought - “what if he left the house to escape the guy carrying the gun” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/26 "2015-06-10T21:23:35Z")
> [@SarahR](#): > > The focus seems to be entirely on the police officer’s safety now, equipping them with automatic weapons and flashbang grenades along with the authority to burst in unannounced with an entire team. What happened to protecting the safety of the public? I imagine that the argument would be that a dead police officer protects no one and unsafe work environment decreases the number of applicants. So it becomes a question of whether you are better protected when there are 15% fewer cops on the force or when police are 20% more dangerous 0.5% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![SarahR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@SarahR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SarahR)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/27 "2015-06-10T23:39:46Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I imagine that the argument would be that a dead police officer protects no one and unsafe work environment decreases the number of applicants. So it becomes a question of whether you are better protected when there are 15% fewer cops on the force or when police are 20% more dangerous 0.5% of the time. Personally I would rather fear criminals than fear the police. At least if I am hurt by a criminal I have the law on my side. People saying ‘better safe than sorry’ is all well and good, but deploying a police SWAT team with automatic weapons to search an entire neighbourhood is anything but safe. Accidents happen frequently under those conditions, and can be fatal for innocent bystanders. Police officers are only human. Sometimes the safest course of action is a more proportionate response. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/28 "2015-06-10T23:50:59Z")
> [@SarahR](#): > > Personally I would rather fear criminals than fear the police. At least if I am hurt by a criminal I have the law on my side. > > People saying ‘better safe than sorry’ is all well and good, but deploying a police SWAT team with automatic weapons to search an entire neighbourhood is anything but safe. Accidents happen frequently under those conditions, and can be fatal for innocent bystanders. Police officers are only human. Sometimes the safest course of action is a more proportionate response. [Indeed.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Johnston_shooting) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/29 "2015-06-10T23:52:33Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I wonder if it might be related to the New York prison break. No, seriously. It actually Does look like Canada is their primary goal… and Ontario has a lot of border close to them. If they could cross the St Lawrence or even Lake Ontario, the US authorities would have a hard time catching them. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/30 "2015-06-11T00:01:45Z")
True, but I have a feeling the Canadian authorities don’t really want them running around their territory, either. I suspect the Canadians would be just as diligent hunting them down as the Americans. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/31 "2015-06-11T02:30:45Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > They checked every yard, shed, porch, hedge, garage, etc. …every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/32 "2015-06-11T03:45:25Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I think it was especially alarming as this is a quiet little neighbourhood in a sleepy little city, where very little high crime occurs, I swear! > . Relax. If there was any high crime around, they wouldn’t have been spending the time doing this. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/33 "2015-06-11T14:18:02Z")
La Migra was picking up someone who failed to renew her political amnesty statement to stay in the US, who lived in our building. They surrounded the building and ordered us back in when we tried to go out. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/34 "2015-06-11T16:24:44Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > You have no idea what happened. The guy could’ve been aiming the gun at kids. They don’t lock down schools for no reason. I think you haven’t been paying attention. Schools are locked down regularly for very, very little reason, even if not for “no” reason. But that’s kind of beside the point. It is relatively non-disrupting to lock down schools, at least during regular school hours. Lock the doors, don’t let anyone go in or out, and continue on teaching as normal. The real question here is whether, and for how long, the cops have the authority to order people to stay in their houses. And what authority they have to search buildings and structures on private property. I’m not saying these are easy questions to answer, but blindly letting police do what they want is not favorable to citizens’ liberties and freedoms. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/35 "2015-06-11T17:02:40Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I think it was especially alarming as **this is a quiet little neighbourhood in a sleepy little city** , where very little high crime occurs, I swear! Snip > [@elbows](#): > > We live in changing times, **this is a large city** and this police force is trained to deal with changing situations. Snip 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/36 "2015-06-11T17:04:01Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I think it was especially alarming as **this is a quiet little neighbourhood in a sleepy little city** , where very little high crime occurs, I swear! Snip > [@elbows](#): > > We live in changing times, **this is a large city** and this police force is trained to deal with changing situations. Snip 😕 Maybe one of the escaped inmates made their way to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/37 "2015-06-13T00:52:05Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > The real question here is whether, and for how long, the cops have the authority to order people to stay in their houses. And what authority they have to search buildings and structures on private property. I’m not saying these are easy questions to answer, but blindly letting police do what they want is not favorable to citizens’ liberties and freedoms. I’m curious as to this as well, does the police department have the ability to do this? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118/38 "2015-06-13T01:16:29Z")
UPDATE: In talking with a neighbour it turns out they also broke a locked gate to get into one yard (city will pay to fix, no questions asked!), emptied one shed of it’s contents, and as her basement has access from the backyard, and she’d been in there, it lay open, they asked and she consented, they also searched there! I gather the gun was seen immediately in front of the school, the top of this street, maybe six houses away. We are extremely close the the main police station and they were on the scene directly. It would appear as though I exited my house moments after it began when they believed this person to be truly right at hand. And it would seem, in just such circumstances they have the authority to storm about. Doing pretty much exactly what they did. The truth is most of my neighbours have no idea they did any of this, because they were all at work! Personally, I have no problem with them searching my yard and shed, or sending me back inside. It was all done in about 20 minutes, at least here, they searched ten blocks I think. As to the size of my city, (365,000 people), it is located midway between Toronto and Detroit, both large cities by any estimation. Within southwestern Ontario however London IS a large city and a major centre for medicine, education and research. It still feels somewhat small townish in several ways like many university cities do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordered-back-into-my-home-by-armed-police-officers/722118.md?page=1)