Montco Sheriff Conducting Suspicionless Searches?

[ehidle]

The last few times I have been riding my bike on the Schuylkill River bike trail, there has been a uniformed officer from the Montco sheriff's office on the bike path just south of the Spring Mill train station with a police dog, and I can only assume he is using the dog to conduct passive, suspicionless searches of passersby on the bike path.

Has anyone else seen cops doing this kind of thing?

[ALS]

Is he physically bothering you or just making his presence known?

Chances are they have had problems on the trail and have placed an officer there to deter bad people from bothering or harassing law abiding users of the trail.

Personally it wouldn't bother me to see law enforcement working a secluded area once and a while. It keeps the bad guys on their toes and urges them to move on.

If they start setting up check points and start asking randomly for ID from people using the trail then I have a problem with them on the trail.

Drug dealers may be using the trail as a meeting place for transactions.

[-JD-]

The last few times I have been riding my bike on the Schuylkill River bike trail, there has been a uniformed officer from the Montco sheriff's office on the bike path just south of the Spring Mill train station with a police dog, and I can only assume he is using the dog to conduct passive, suspicionless searches of passersby on the bike path.

Has anyone else seen cops doing this kind of thing?

Or he walks his dog there.

Since the Montco Sheriff has the Bomb Disposal Unit, maybe it is their bomb dog.

I don't think they have drug dogs.

[Frenchy]

Or he walks his dog there.

Since the Montco Sheriff has the Bomb Disposal Unit, maybe it is their bomb dog.

I don't think they have drug dogs.

It should not matter what kind of dog it is, since when is it wrong for the police to do their job?

Unless they are stopping you to ask questions or detaining you, I see nothing but good here. Police presence on a trail where citizens can see them can only be good for the area as the people who want to use this trail probably feel safer about using it.

Sort of reminds me of some thing.. When I was in Montreal, the RCMP had horses and dogs on the Mount Royal walking trails. Mounted police with a dog walking next to the horse... So I asked one Mountie.. Can I take a picture.. His response was Sure, Want me to take a picture of you and the Dog?

I was all in awe... a few seconds later, he asked if I wanted to mount the horse.

Cops are human just like you and Me.. next time you see one, maybe take a second or two and ask about the dog and how he is trained, show interest, the Police man who is his handler will certainly indulge you and you may find that unlike what many thing of police, they are just there to help.

PS, ASSUME Ass U Me Never assume anything, ask and you might find that some one was abducted near by, or maybe there where complaints of bikers being attacked..

That was the main reason for the Mountie and the dog on Mount Royal. There where so many complaints of robbery and rape on the trails... There is a RCMP horse stable in Montreal on Mount Royal, so now it is not rare to see Mounted Police on the mountain (park)/

[ehidle]

So, you guys are okay with the police violating our 4th amendment rights if it is for everyone's safety? That's not the opinion I would have expected from this board.

It would be one thing if it were just a police presence, but they have the dog there, whose sole purpose is to search for and indicate the presence of contraband - without suspicion and without warrant. That crosses the line.

[phill]

So, you guys are okay with the police violating our 4th amendment rights if it is for everyone's safety? That's not the opinion I would have expected from this board.

It would be one thing if it were just a police presence, but they have the dog there, whose sole purpose is to search for and indicate the presence of contraband - without suspicion and without warrant. That crosses the line.

Gave you rep on the other post have to dis-agree with you on this. If he is just standing there and not conducting ID checks or interfering with the use of the trail his presence is a positive in my mind. Of course there is never any contraband on me.((nothing implied)

[soup]

You said yourself

I can only assume he is using the dog to conduct passive, suspicionless searches of passersby on the bike path.

Then you say

It would be one thing if it were just a police presence, but they have the dog there, whose sole purpose is to search for and indicate the presence of contraband - without suspicion and without warrant. That crosses the line.

I don't mean to ruffle any feathers here and I apologize if this comes off badly... while I understand why you are worried/trouble by what you assume to be happening (as you and anyone else should be) but it is just that... an assumption.

Your last post comes off like you know this to be fact when it is not.

Then this:

So, you guys are okay with the police violating our 4th amendment rights if it is for everyone's safety? That's not the opinion I would have expected from this board.

Again, you are basing everything on an assumption and pointing fingers at people here which is unfair. There are 1000 different reasons the officer could be there, some very plausible ones are in this thread. Maybe next time stop and ask why the officer is there instead of just assuming you know why he is there.

Unless you fear the dog might smell something on you....

[camper]

It would be one thing if it were just a police presence, but they have the dog there, whose sole purpose is to search for and indicate the presence of contraband - without suspicion and without warrant. That crosses the line.

Do you know that with 100% certainty?

And even if it was, the dog is not searching it is standing/sitting in a place and only reacts when there is contraband detected. I also highly doubt that the cop is saying "None shall pass---unless my dog sniffs your crotch".

That doesn't even factor in the whole idea that the police officer is just as entitled to stand in a public park with a dog (drug sniffing or not) as you are to ride your bike through it.

You're trying and convicting the cop of a 4th ammendment violation based on your assumption without any facts or basis.

And youre 'riding past them' doesn't voilate the 4th ammendment because they are not approaching you in any way, nor could it be construed as 'unreasonable'.

Methinks you're reacting too harshly on this one.

camper

[DennisH82]

We can assume till the cows come home but it means diddly squat until and actuall violation of anyones rights occurs. Form what you wrote no vioaltion occured.

[PocketProtector]

With the technology available today, no doubt rights are routinely being violated in some way.