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What the actual...? One would hope the cops at least apologized for nearly destroying your front door all because you didn't answer the door. It's not like th

What the actual...? One would hope the cops at least apologized for nearly destroying your front door all because you didn't answer the door. It's not like they had a warrant for your arrest or something!

Osiris 5y ago
Except that law enforcement is explicitly immune from having to pay damages to property in the course of their duty. We had a SWAT team destroy a fence with an armored vehicle during a standoff and they were just like, "not my problem." Apparently they don't want to have to make decisions based on cost.
- Moru 5y ago
  Depends on country I guess. In Sweden they usually pay for the door.
  - wil421 5y ago
    My home insurance would cover police damage unless I was the person they were after. It’s still likely I would have to cover the deductible. You could probably take the presumed criminal neighbor to small claims court and try to get back the deductible. I’d bet any decent judge would be sympathetic to the home owner.
- buu700 5y ago
  Makes sense. Seems like the incentives will be problematic either way. Personally, I'd just have the state cover it, but explicitly not have it come out of the police budget. A reimbursement check or tax credit could work. In the event that malice is suspected on the part of any involved party (police department, property owner, 911 caller, home invader, etc.), it would be on the state to press charges and recoup its loss.
ghaff 5y ago
Did you read the part where his mother made the 911 call?
- jzawodn 5y ago
  Yes. So she should pay. :-)
- garmaine 5y ago
  So? Why should "my son hasn't answered his phone" escalate to an armed response?
  - ghaff 5y ago
    I didn't see anything about guns drawn or anything like that. Presumably if they were police in the US, however, I assume they were "armed." That said, I frankly expect this would not be the reaction in most places. That would probably be more along the lines of "If you still haven't heard from him in 48 hours give us a call back." It seems weird that police would come to break down a house's interior door when there were no other indications of e.g. someone armed barricading themselves in a room or in distress in some other manner.
    - garmaine 5y ago
      He said they were going to break down the door. Police in the US will never do that without guns drawn. Maybe he was confused about the exact circumstances though.

Osiris 5y ago

Except that law enforcement is explicitly immune from having to pay damages to property in the course of their duty. We had a SWAT team destroy a fence with an armored vehicle during a standoff and they were just like, "not my problem." Apparently they don't want to have to make decisions based on cost.

Moru 5y ago
Depends on country I guess. In Sweden they usually pay for the door.
- wil421 5y ago
  My home insurance would cover police damage unless I was the person they were after. It’s still likely I would have to cover the deductible. You could probably take the presumed criminal neighbor to small claims court and try to get back the deductible. I’d bet any decent judge would be sympathetic to the home owner.
buu700 5y ago
Makes sense. Seems like the incentives will be problematic either way. Personally, I'd just have the state cover it, but explicitly not have it come out of the police budget. A reimbursement check or tax credit could work. In the event that malice is suspected on the part of any involved party (police department, property owner, 911 caller, home invader, etc.), it would be on the state to press charges and recoup its loss.

ghaff 5y ago

Did you read the part where his mother made the 911 call?

jzawodn 5y ago
Yes. So she should pay. :-)
garmaine 5y ago
So? Why should "my son hasn't answered his phone" escalate to an armed response?
- ghaff 5y ago
  I didn't see anything about guns drawn or anything like that. Presumably if they were police in the US, however, I assume they were "armed." That said, I frankly expect this would not be the reaction in most places. That would probably be more along the lines of "If you still haven't heard from him in 48 hours give us a call back." It seems weird that police would come to break down a house's interior door when there were no other indications of e.g. someone armed barricading themselves in a room or in distress in some other manner.
  - garmaine 5y ago
    He said they were going to break down the door. Police in the US will never do that without guns drawn. Maybe he was confused about the exact circumstances though.