# The police wanted to search my home. What?? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799 "2014-09-18T04:46:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/1 "2014-09-18T04:46:35Z")
I was at the Y this evening. As I was going home, walking to my car, a guy in a mustang pulled up and asked for me by name and said he wanted to talk to me. I assumed it was a father of one of my daughter’s classmates. I volunteer a lot at her school and many parents know me. Then, from out of nowhere, three other guys come up with police badges. Long long story short, they more or less said they were acting on a tip regarding large quantities of drugs being at my home. The implication that I was a dealer. Now I looked around and there were 6 cops! What??? Me?? My home is me, my mom (in her 70’s) and my daughter (aged 10). This was so shocking and so surreal and so far from the truth I’m still reeling. They wanted to search my home. I asked if there was a warrant. I seem to recall reading here to always ask for a warrant. All of a sudden he turned “bad cop” on me:Asking what I was hiding. Why was I being difficult. That they WOULD get one and they wouldn’t be nice, knocking down my door. He wanted to know specifically why I wanted a warrant. I couldn’t answer really other than some cops can be untrustworthy. I just wanted to call my brother to ask him what he thought but I was told I could not use my phone in any capacity. I was concerned I would be hauled into the station for questioning if I didn’t answer their questions in the parking lot. Normally I can hold my own just fine, but this situation bowled me over with its unexpectedness! In the meantime, there was another set of cops at my house asking my mom about this. She gave them permission to look in her room. After about an hour, and after I let them search my car complete with k-9, I was told it was ok to leave. I told them I think they have the wrong person- that it’s my neighbors that are shady not me. I’m sure I’m leaving out a bit. This is something I’d never in a billion years expect. I keep to myself a lot, don’t go drugs, rarely drink. The idea that they’ve been watching me (which I don’t believe) is really weird. So what just happened here? Was I wrong to ask for a warrant? Wouldn’t they have already had one if they really believed this? I’m really horrified over the idea of this happening again, but at work or my daughter’s school! I know in legal questions, people always ask for the state. I’m in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/2 "2014-09-18T05:20:32Z")
Were they all gumshoes or were any of them in uniform? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/3 "2014-09-18T05:26:03Z")
Two were in uniform. I am assuming that the ones that were in my home were also, from the way my mom described them. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/4 "2014-09-18T05:32:13Z")
Sorry that happened. Were they friendly to your mother? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/5 "2014-09-18T05:33:44Z")
They were official. She didn’t tell me they were rude, but then, she didn’t ask for a warrant. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/6 "2014-09-18T05:44:58Z")
Maybe it’s guilt by association. You have shady neighbors? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/7 "2014-09-18T05:49:59Z")
I think they are. They are what referred to as Irish Travelers. The keep entirely to themselves. I couldn’t tell you their names if I had to. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/8 "2014-09-18T06:01:10Z")
Well, at least they did not shoot you. ☹ I think you probably handled it right. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/9 "2014-09-18T06:13:07Z")
Did you get their badge numbers? It might be worth a trip to the police station to file a complaint, with a copy to your local newspaper. And maybe explaining the Constitution to them. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/10 "2014-09-18T06:47:58Z")
My mom had them write down their names. I stupidly did not. What seemed odd were that the police I did see the badges of, they were of a different city, the one that borders mine. The k-9 car was from another city here in the metroplex. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/11 "2014-09-18T06:51:32Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Did you get their badge numbers? > It might be worth a trip to the police station to file a complaint, with a copy to your local newspaper. And maybe explaining the Constitution to them. If they get consent, they don’t need a warrant. His mother consented to the search. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/12 "2014-09-18T06:57:02Z")
Was it legal to keep me from calling my brother? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/13 "2014-09-18T07:07:05Z")
I can see them not wanting you to make a call. What if you warned someone at the residence that it was about to be searched? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/14 "2014-09-18T07:20:00Z")
I can understand this, really. Believe me, I’ve nothing to hide at all. But if I’m not under arrest, can he require me to not make a call? My mom and daughter had access to their phones/iPad. My daughter had been sending me texts saying she was scared. She could have been warning me about my car to be searched, right? ---
**Author:** ![albert75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@albert75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albert75)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/15 "2014-09-18T07:44:05Z")
With Obama as president, be careful what you say on your cell phone conversations… The FBI may be listening… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/16 "2014-09-18T07:50:19Z")
Right. _Of course_ the government wasn’t listening in on internet traffic prior to the election of President Obama. Oh, wait. [They were](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/17 "2014-09-18T08:07:45Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > If they get consent, they don’t need a warrant. His mother consented to the search. Are they permitted to gain that consent by threatening to return and kick the door in? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/18 "2014-09-18T08:17:55Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Right. _Of course_ the government wasn’t listening in on internet traffic prior to the election of President Obama. Oh, wait. [They were](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A). That’s NSA, not FBI. 😛 On topic: Never, ever, ever consent to a search without a warrant. Let the cops threaten and bluster all they want; if they had any shred of evidence whatsoever, they would’ve have a warrant already. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/19 "2014-09-18T11:48:15Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > On topic: Never, ever, ever consent to a search without a warrant. Let the cops threaten and bluster all they want; if they had any shred of evidence whatsoever, they would’ve have a warrant already. From a person side I agree. From a cop side I have no idea why they would do this. If you don’t have enough for a warrant then it’s a crap shoot whether you’ll be let in the house. But you’ll certainly tip your hand if you are unsuccessful. Too much downside not enough upside even if the OP was dirty. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/20 "2014-09-18T11:58:49Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Are they permitted to gain that consent by threatening to return and kick the door in? Good question. Are they allowed to tear up your house to make a search? I know bounty hunters are given alot of leeway to break into peoples homes in search of fugitives. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799.md?page=2)