Private Property - What's that?

Oh what perfect timing, I just happened to receive a copy of The Economics and Ethics of Private Property last night just in time to view this beauty of private property protection -

It was a busy day at the mall. I and my wife, had spent the morning fighting the Christmas crowds in order to buy a little December 25th love. After an exhausting three hours we returned to our car to find a note on the drivers seat.

At first, I was alarmed at the fact someone had opened my car to leave, what I thought, was an advertisement. I felt as if my privacy had been invaded! “The nerve of someone going in my car, my private property, to leave me an unsolicited ad,” I thought. When I looked at the laminated pamphlet, I was even more shocked to see it was from the Toronto Police services and the Insurance Bureau of Canada! It was a note, from Toronto Police Services–which included an issuing officer’s badge number–telling me that that my car door was left unlocked and that it would have taken 30 seconds to steal my car! The note had several other boxes which the officers were to visually search for, such as keys in plain view and valuables in plain view. If the car was locked, without keys in it, the officer was to check the congratulatory box and leave the note on your windshield. I looked around and didn’t see any notes on any windshields. The cars around me didn’t have notes inside. So essentially, the police singled out my car, illegally entered it, did a visual search of it for “ the keys” and “valuables” and left me a note. Not to detract from the seriousness of the situation and my own anger but the officer didn’t even lock the doors behind him! If my car was in danger of being stolen at any minute–so in danger that he felt the need to open my car, check for the keys and leave me a note–he could have at least locked the door!

The story continues...

My wife and I were furious. We weren’t sure what to do, but thought we should at least file a complaint and let them know that what they did was wrong. So the following day, I phoned Toronto Police Services to report a crime.

After being transferred around, I was put through to an officer that worked out of the note issuing branch. I told him, “I would like to report a crime.”

“What exactly happened sir?”

“On Sunday, someone entered my car and left me a note telling me how easy it was to steal it.” The officer began to laugh. He then went on to explain to me how we’d had a rash of car thefts in the area and how this was a new crime prevention initiative.

“Is this not a crime though, am I wrong? Could I do this to someone else’s car?” What he told me, may be some of the most chilling words which I have ever heard.

I wish I had myself a little more together for this because I would have shot back that it’s worse for the police to break the law than criminals! God help us if the people that are supposed to be the benchmark for justice and lawfulness–no matter how small the crime–break the law themselves.

I wasn’t finished though because I had one more question that needed to be asked, “what if you found something in my car when you opened the door?” This was followed by an accusing back and fourth about what I have in my car that I don’t want police to see.

“I don’t have anything in my car but if I did have something, anything illegal what would happen? Would you just leave a note?”

“No sir, we’d wait for you to return and arrest you.” Needless to say, I was shocked by his honesty but not surprised by the answer.

“How is this legal? You entered my vehicle, without my consent or a warrant and would arrest me if you found anything?” To which I was, again, kindly told to get a lawyer and our conversation ended.

The Real Effect
What is not so much a spectacle here is the action as much as the attitude. If this had been some sort of off handed act of compassion, I highly doubt that there would be much if any complaining going on. Rather, the fact that the head of the branch thinks that habitually breaking the law (something he is sworn to uphold) and violating your rights is not only permissible, but necessary in order to protect you from lawbreakers shows the absolute insanity that is rampant in our so-called "civilized" society.

Police, you exist primarily to protect our rights, not to "stop crime". If you violate our rights, you are not Jack Bauer, doing the world some sort of favor, you are more akin to Mao Tse-Tung jackbooting your way into the history books. Of course, with garbage like The Chicago Code being shoveled down their throats on TV and in the departments themselves, it's little wonder that the protectors feel this way. (Hint - Turn off 24.)

It doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out where this is going. Once the precedent is set that it's acceptable to break the law in order to uphold the law, it's only a matter of time before the laws being broken and the rights being violated become so egregious, that it is only a matter of formality to rightly label the offending group a tyranny.