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What was their reasoning? Was it justified? Do we have statements from school administrators letting us know exactly what happened in the school from the schools perpective?
The issue is not that the kid was reported. The school actually has two police officers permanently assigned as "resource officers." They called in their superiors, made an initial assessment that no actual bomb was involved. Then they arrested the kid to determine whether it was a bomb hoax.
When the police determined that the kid was not attempting even a hoax, the school had no reason to suspend him. There's nothing for them to say: No crime, no time.
This is one of the reasons kids disdain school authorities overall: There is absolutely no concept of justice in how schools are administered. Merely being "involved" in any way in any kind of issue results in suspension, even if one is totally the victim, which is why not even victims report bullies.
It isn't necessarily unlawful conduct the government would like reported. It is suspicious conduct. If someone sees conduct they deem suspicious or sees a suspicious package, the government is asking this be reported.
There should be no liability for someone reporting. It would be the government's job to determine if a threat exists. The report is simply a report.
What is a "suspicious package?" Describe that for me.
Back during the terrorism period of the '80s, I worked in a secure facility at Offutt AFB, NE. We had already had a couple of bomb scares that had evacuated Building 500 (Strategic Air Command Headquarters).
So one morning I'm standing in the Reconnaissance Operations room chatting with the shift ops officer. The vault door opens, a hand extends inside, and drops a briefcase just inside the door, then the hand disappears.
I looked at the ops officer. He looked back at me. Then he picked up the phone. Yet another building evacuation, although it turned out that it was a visiting briefer just dropping off his classified briefing slides before heading for the restroom. Of course, the guy should have come on into the room and said, "Hey I need to drop these off in the vault and hit the head--be back in a few minutes."
But let's say a FedEx truck drops off a package at a front door. What makes it "suspicious" and why should a neighbor report it?
Well, what if my wife drops off a box of homemade cookies, as she's very likely to do. What makes that package "suspicious," and why should the police send a squad out to explode it...just in case?
Okay, if not that, then maybe the police should just take down the info...and do what with it, exactly? Get a search or phone tap warrant? "Judge, someone dropped off a package at their house, so we want a warrant to tap their phones."
Maybe just set up round-the-clock surveillance. Yes, tie up three officers a day because someone dropped a package off at their house.
If people stop and think for a moment: What actions do they actually think should take place as a result of all these "suspicion" calls?
It isn't necessarily unlawful conduct the government would like reported. It is suspicious conduct. If someone sees conduct they deem suspicious or sees a suspicious package, the government is asking this be reported.
There should be no liability for someone reporting. It would be the government's job to determine if a threat exists. The report is simply a report.
What is a "suspicious package?" Describe that for me.
Back during the terrorism period of the '80s, I worked in a secure facility at Offutt AFB, NE. We had already had a couple of bomb scares that had evacuated Building 500 (Strategic Air Command Headquarters).
So one morning I'm standing in the Reconnaissance Operations room chatting with the shift ops officer. The vault door opens, a hand extends inside, and drops a briefcase just inside the door, then the hand disappears.
I looked at the ops officer. He looked back at me. Then he picked up the phone. Yet another building evacuation, although it turned out that it was a visiting briefer just dropping off his classified briefing slides before heading for the restroom. Of course, the guy should have come on into the room and said, "Hey I need to drop these off in the vault and hit the head--be back in a few minutes."
But let's say a FedEx truck drops off a package at a front door. What makes it "suspicious" and why should a neighbor report it?
Well, what if my wife drops off a box of homemade cookies, as she's very likely to do. What makes that package "suspicious," and why should the police send a squad out to explode it...just in case?
Okay, if not that, then maybe the police should just take down the info...and do what with it, exactly? Get a search or phone tap warrant? "Judge, someone dropped off a package at their house, so we want a warrant to tap their phones."
Maybe just set up round-the-clock surveillance. Yes, tie up three officers a day because someone dropped a package off at their house.
If people stop and think for a moment: What actions do they actually think should take place as a result of all these "suspicion" calls?
Exactly. The intelligence community already faces a severe "noise to signal" problem, which this would only make far worse. Terrorists and violent nutcases are rare: "big hat, no cattle" types who blow off their mouths but would never actually DO something are more common, and harmless eccentrics are more common yet. "Rat out your neighbors" laws would tie up limited law enforcement resources in useless wild goose pursuits even more than they already are.
As an attorney, I am under an obligation, enforced by the New York State Rules of Professional Responsibility (the "Rules") to report conduct of attorneys for violate the Rules, and to report non-attorneys engaged in the unautorized practice of law. Turning to terror, airports, train and subway stations are replete with signs that say "if you see something, say something" or words to that effect.
Given the problem of self-radicalization as well as active cooperation with ISIS and other organizations, I had a thought. People should be obligated to reveal to law enforcement suspicious activity they see, either live, on social media or otherwise. While I am not crazy about gun control, sellers of guns and ammunition should be obligated to report large or unusual orders. After Oklahoma City there were calls that purchases by non-farmers of huge quantities of fertilizer should be reported.
It is inconceivable that there wasn't unusual and obvious activity around the apartment of the San Bernardino couple that conducted the slaughter. And a law requiring "ratting" or "snitching" would likely ensnare family members of terrorists and other criminals. If there were such laws people would be rightly worried about their phone or cell numbers appearing on the phones of the criminals. I think it would at least seriously complicate or prevent many incidents.
A lot more effective that trying to employ metal detectors everywhere.
Early on during the reporting of the San Bernardino shooting, a neighbor reportedly told some reporters that she never liked the family, with their foreign names, attire and what not. She claimed she did not notify anyone because she did not want to be perceived as the racist. The Fox News Reporter on the scene said it was way over the top.
Local and federal governments will soon be overwhelmed with reports of suspicious behaviors. There will be huge backlogs and pressure to hire.
What is a "suspicious package?" Describe that for me.
Back during the terrorism period of the '80s, I worked in a secure facility at Offutt AFB, NE. We had already had a couple of bomb scares that had evacuated Building 500 (Strategic Air Command Headquarters).
So one morning I'm standing in the Reconnaissance Operations room chatting with the shift ops officer. The vault door opens, a hand extends inside, and drops a briefcase just inside the door, then the hand disappears.
I looked at the ops officer. He looked back at me. Then he picked up the phone. Yet another building evacuation, although it turned out that it was a visiting briefer just dropping off his classified briefing slides before heading for the restroom. Of course, the guy should have come on into the room and said, "Hey I need to drop these off in the vault and hit the head--be back in a few minutes."
But let's say a FedEx truck drops off a package at a front door. What makes it "suspicious" and why should a neighbor report it?
Well, what if my wife drops off a box of homemade cookies, as she's very likely to do. What makes that package "suspicious," and why should the police send a squad out to explode it...just in case?
Okay, if not that, then maybe the police should just take down the info...and do what with it, exactly? Get a search or phone tap warrant? "Judge, someone dropped off a package at their house, so we want a warrant to tap their phones."
Maybe just set up round-the-clock surveillance. Yes, tie up three officers a day because someone dropped a package off at their house.
If people stop and think for a moment: What actions do they actually think should take place as a result of all these "suspicion" calls?
A suspicious package would, for example, be a backpack left unattended in a subway.
Same basic theory. People should be under a non-voluntary obligation to rat out suspicious objects or people.
You haven't answered my questions from post #7:
So, wait, are you saying that a relative of a criminal should be implicated in the crime simply by being a relative?
Are you saying that someone the criminal once called--the mere number showing up on his phone--is evidence of implication in his crime?
Are you saying that even being a neighbor of a criminal is evidence of failing to turn in a potential criminal?
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