DC getting nervous over DC v. Heller

That's the only way one could describe this wonderful idea cooked up by the DC police department. It's a crackdown on guns in DC under the guise of "protecting" children, and a promise of amnesty for violating the city's gun ban:

A crackdown on guns is under way in the District. Police are asking residents to submit to voluntary searches in exchange for amnesty under the District's gun ban.

The program is starting in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of southeast Washington on Monday and will later expand to other neighborhoods.

Officers will go door to door asking residents for permission to search their homes.

Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said the "safe homes initiative" is aimed at residents who want to cooperate with police. She gave the example of parents or grandparents who know or suspect their children have guns in the home.

If weapons are recovered, they will be tested and destroyed if they are not found to be linked to any other crimes.

Boston PD tried this in November of last year and it didn't get too far. We doubt this one will go too far either. People understand they have a right to own a firearm, and in DC, if the firearm was registered prior to the ban, it's not an illegal weapon. If we lived in DC, and the police came knocking on our door, asking if we'd submit to a search of our home for a firearm, they'd be told to get off our porch and come back with a warrant. There are some serious constitutional issues at stake in these sorts of programs.

The Constitution clearly states in the Fourth Amendment that police must obtain a warrant that details the areas to be searched, and items to be seized. Our guess is there isn't a judge in Dc willing to put his neck out on the chopping block to sign warrants to search every house in the DC area on a wild-goose chase for weapons that, for the most part, people own legally, and aren't likely to part with willingly.

Publius II