If someone broke into your house, would you want the police to ask them for identification?

[LoZoccolo]

Poll question: If someone broke into your house, would you want the police to ask them for identification?

[Towlie]

1. I vote unrec.

[Moochy]

20. Automatic even

+1 er i mean -1 (secret -1)

[elleng]

2. Depends on circs.

Here, with Prof. Gates, Yes. They were already inside, right? And Prof. was asserting it was his house. I.D., please. AND THEN, Bye Bye.

[Captain Hilts]

7. BINGO. nt

[havocmom]

3. Someone DID break into my home, in 1975

It would be nice if they could have caught the criminals.

Gates was in his own home and went to get his ID. His error, evidently, was thinking HE had rights too.

You gonna do this all night? Things that make one go 'hmmmmmm'

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. I would step back and away and call for reinforcements until he could identify himself

American cops have a habit of ATTACKING whoever it is unless they practically kneel and kiss their @$$. Recently some @$$hole cop threw an ELDERLY LADY onto the ground. He should have STEPPED AWAY. American cops DO NOT step away. They LOVE to provoke, lure, and create a situation. Then they attack the person, and if they move, it's called "RESISTING ARREST."

I've never in my life been arrested. I'm a woman and white. However, I know 2 women who are married to cops, and let me tell you, cops are NOT NICE PEOPLE. There might be exceptions, but they're exceptions.

[Avalux]

5. Hell yes. You know why? That cop doesn't have a clue who's inside the house.

At the point where the cop shows up and there's an unknown person in the house - the only logical thing to do is find out who the person is - and not assume anything.

[angee_is_mad]

6. Trick damn question or in plain English

Bullshit.

If someone is in my foyer on the damn phone with luggage, I would tell that person that there was a call in about a break in and I was following up on the phone call.

Start a damn CONVERSATION and not an interrogation!!!

[slackmaster]

8. It would be pointless for the police to ask the person for identification

He or she would be dead by the time the police got there.

[masuki bance]

9. No, as soon as they said they lived there, that would be good enough.

Why hassle someone like that?

[tomm2thumbs]

12. only guess would be since the University owned the home, the cop wanted to have THEIR security to

confirm that it wasn't some professor who had been fired breaking back in to their property. He didn't sound like he was being very helpful so there is some question why he wouldn't immediately offer his ID up front. Frankly, if I were a professor at Harvard, I wouldn't be trying to bust in my University-owned home just because I didn't have my keys - I'd be calling University security to have them open it for me. It is not my property technically and that is one of the things University security is for.

It sounds like while they were waiting for University security/police to arrive, things got heated and then things went the way they went.

[masuki bance]

18. I left my sarcasm tag off. There are a lot of situations to think of

Just because someone has a license that says they live somewhere doesn't automatically clear everything up. For instance, what if someone lived with a partner-things had gone bad and there was a restraining order out on the guy? If the cop said "oh, cool, you say you live here,no problem, see ya" there would have been hell to pay. What if someone had already assaulted the real owner and had that guy's id on him, and it looked like a close enough resemblance? There are many different scenarios, and for a resident or homeowner to lose it while a cop is doing his duty seems over the top.

[tularetom]

10. Actually I'd want them to do their fucking job and arrest them

[nosmokes]

11. Voted *MostAsinine Poll Question of theYear*

[grantcart]

13. How many threads on this subject are you going to generate?

[TheKentuckian]

14. Yup, and then when it turns out to be me then I want the police to kick rocks.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. This poll

is a shit statement.

[saltpoint]

16. It would depend on how hot the intruder is and how much clothing

they had on.

And whether they brought some good beer.

[grahamhgreen]

17. Wrong question - "Do you want the police to come into your house and demand ID or you get arrested?"

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

19. I actually had a similar experience once.

And I can tell you that nobody knows what went down with exception to those people there at the time. You can make of it what you will but you were not there.

OK so, I bought the place and it had been vacant for a while. After work one night I figured I would look the place over once more myself before moving in. I had to use a flash light to find my key to the door, for some reason or other the key did not work or did not seem to work. One of the neighbors of course called the cops! The neighbors did not know me or who I am ,and I did not know them or who they are !

OK, so I get the damn key to work and I go inside, I use my flash light to find the damn light switch so I can shine some light in the place.,look it over, figure out where my desk will go.

Well now out of nowhere seemingly there are three cops standing in the door entrance, So who the hell are you people I says, and what the hell are ya doing there !We are the police one says and what the hell are you doing here ? ! So the cops start to walk in to the front room, so I says , Jesus Christ ,What the hell is wrong with you people ,you better wipe your damn feet or my wife will kick your God damned ass's from here to hell and back again, what the hell's the matter with you people , fer Christ sake !

OK so the cop with one foot in and one foot out steps back than says , oh yes of course , and wipes his feet on the welcome matt ,than tells the other two to do the same, ! So the first cop comes in and asks, let me ask you what you are doing here, . I said I just bought the place and I am looking it over before we move in over the week end. Can I see some identification says the cop. No problem I says and than promptly fronted my ID. I properly fronted my ID knowing full well it is my citizen obligation to show a law enforcement officer identification upon request,it's just that simple ! Although my first impression was more like, what the hell are you cops doing here ,shouldn't you's be out there catching bad guys , or hanging around donut shops or some such thing !

But being so much smarter than they are of course I would never let on to just what the hell I am thinking ! Pretty smart hua !

So the detective say's we got a report of a break in and entry at this address. So I thought about that and the fact I entered the place with my flash light in hand and of course none of the neighbors know who I am ,and Of course their not so smart either ,but that's the least to be expected. !

OK ,so, I say's no,I bought the place, I offered to go out to the car and get the card of that air head Realtor who of course rather stupidly sold me the house ,but the cop said that will not be necessary ! Those cops were able to validate all of the information rather quickly .And they actually apologized for the intrusion with respects toward my wife!

I than thanked those cops for responding so quickly ,than said, it's good to know we picked a safe neighborhood to buy into ! I mean what the hell, I was there maybe five minutes and the cops show up, ! I'd say them there cop's were pretty damn good !

Now look, if the professor were as smart as we are, he never would have let on to what he was really thinking ! But hay, those that can not do,- teach right ? !!!

Alright now, class dismissed !

[TheKentuckian]

21. What actually happened is the homeowner was in his house

and the cop had nothing and should have beat it upon being provided ID, as evidenced by the lameass charge that had to be dropped.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

22. Well, As I said

although there are other similar experiences that come to mind, class dismissed.

In a short note, the wise move in the direction of defusing a potential unseemly situation,higher understanding and wise chosen words are still the best way around a sudden mistaken confrontation.

But I think sometimes people will tend to want to go over the top and perhaps even flex a little mussel, if for no other reason,than to prove a point.
Perhaps that is because they just cannot help it. Indeed he had and has the presidents attention ,and isn't that a fact? Let us than see just what his point turns out to be. And let us further determine if his choice was the right one. Let us than decide of public mind if the professor is indeed after all truly wise.

IF.

And so,it is six months in passing.