Craziness on my College Campus

[Picard]

I was driving to dinner today and saw a whole street blocked off by police officers. I had no idea what was going on and it looked to be pretty serious. When I got back to my room from dinner, this is what I saw.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/lo...rrest_armed_robbery_suspect_after_long_search

Local police took a man into custody tonight after hours of carefully searching an apartment building on the University of Illinois campus.

Since late afternoon, Champaign, Urbana and University of Illinois police had been trying to clear an apartment building on the University of Illinois campus following an armed robbery.
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Police believed the robber had gone into the three-story apartment building at 512 S. Third St., C, according to police Chief R.T. Finney.

Finney said a robbery occurred outside the building this evening and that the robbery suspect then ran into the garage.

Police blocked off portions of nearby streets as they were "trying to clear the building," Finney said.

If you click on the link, you can even see pictures of a SWAT team on the scene. I guess it's just another instance of Big Brother flexing his muscles.

 

[bogie]

"Did he shoot yet?"

"Is he out of ammo yet?"

"Are you sure?"

"Okay - send in CIS."

 

[aquapong]

So getting the Swat team together for a possibly barricaded armed suspect in a robbery is simply big brother flexing muscles?

 

[bogie]

When they don't know (a) if there's a suspect; (b) where he is; (c) if he's actively involved in mayhem, etc.

 

[SomeKid]

So, were they forcing people out of every single dorm room, and searching? If this were the legal forum I would ask a host of legal questions, but I will hold off.

 

[Picard]

Well the thing that gets me is that the SWAT teams says that they found the suspect but did not find the weapon. I wonder what the victim told the cops, "Black guy robbed me". Not to be racist or anything, but that's probably half the people here.

Also, this is the first time that I have ever heard of a SWAT team being sent for an armed robbery. It seems like something more might have been going on.

Anyways, this just shows how the government likes to go overboard, not that it's bad. One suspect is armed with a pistol and they block off all the main roads, have about 20 cop cars and a SWAT team search for him, only to find him unarmed.

Knowing how they work, it makes me think what would happen if they for some reason turned against all gun owners. I think that they'd be too scared to do it since they wouldn't be able to outnumber them 40:1. Just a though.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

do tell us picard how would a real pro like you handle it? beam him up?

"Not to be racist or anything" funny thing when folks start with a line like that. they are telegraphing

 

[skinewmexico]

I read a great article on the militarization of the police, and misuse of swat the other day. I'll try to find it. You invest that much money in a SWAT team, you have to get them some publicity so they look like they're needed.

 

[illinisnare]

That was my college campus a few years ago as well.... I lived half a block south on Healey.

I'm glad we have a SWAT because of the westside park shooting last year, and a few more crime sprees.

You're focusing on the use of the SWAT team too much, and not thinking of the fact that there is a man/woman, white/black, student/townie that was robbed by an armed gunman. Given the sheer number of visitors for commencement weekend, this fool could have been on a spree preying on people unfamiliar with their surroundings.

That person didn't have the tools (concealed carry) to protect themselves. That isn't SWAT's fault - It's the legislature and Blago and Daley and all of their minions.

The article now reads that they found the firearm under a car in the parking garage.

Now, imagine there are conservatively 30 4-bedroom apartment in that complex that the gunman ran into. That's 30 apartments to search, 120 bedrooms, 120 closets, 60 bathrooms. I say bring in the calvary - you know, the guys with the advanced training on entering and clearing buildings.

Not to sound racist, but this guy should have stayed north of University Ave. and not come to campustown to rob someone.

 

[Picard]

do tell us picard how would a real pro like you handle it? beam him up?

I'm not really bashing them for how they handled it because they got the job done. I guess they just really wanted to catch him. I bet he was surprised when the SWAT team came up on him.

It does make sense as to why they would have done all that since it is graduation weekend and they didn't want to risk anything worse. I didn't think of that, though, and I should have. That crook was an idiot for choosing this weekend and the campus to do his dirty work on.

 

[209]

Well, I suppose there was no need for a TACTEAM to do the search. After all, if I lived in the apartment building and came home to find someone at the front door telling me that an armed robber went into the building, they wouldn’t even need to call the police. I’d just sashay in and find the critter myself.

If a patrol officer was the first on scene, I suppose he should of just “manned up” and done a search all by his lonesome. After all, patrol guys are expendable resources. Not only that, but they are faster than a speeding bullet, and can leap tall buildings with a single bound, so they’d be safe enough. :banghead:

 

[Sergeant Sabre]

Also, this is the first time that I have ever heard of a SWAT team being sent for an armed robbery.

They weren't. They were called for a possible barricaded gunman.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

2 different folks having to prequalify as not being racist in one thread

gotta be white folks and a hint to folks not white someone using those lines screams out

 

[Pat-inCO]

Also, this is the first time that I have ever heard of a SWAT team being sent for an armed robbery. It seems like something more might have been going on.

Anyways, this just shows how the government likes to go overboard, not that it's bad. One suspect is armed with a pistol and they block off all the main roads, have about 20 cop cars and a SWAT team search for him, only to find him unarmed.

Did you read your first post? Wasn't there something about a university? Wasn't there something about a three story building? Didn't we just have the first anniversary of the Virgina Tech mess (ONE GUY did all that).

Contrary to popular belief, the crime, to capture, to trial, does NOT happen in 45 minutes, like on TV.

 

[jakemccoy]

easy target for SWAT training & boredom

SWAT, no matter how sophisticated, is still a force to come in after the fact. I bet some people read that article and feel all warm and safe about SWAT showing up, but they don't think about the fact that SWAT could not stop the robbery. The police can’t protect you.

 

[209]

You're right. The police can't "always" protect you. Sometimes, they are "Johnny on the Spot" and catch the criminal as he is doing the crime. Occassionally, they even stop the criminal before they commit the crime. Sometimes they respond after the incident has occurred.

You basically have two choices-

accept that....

- or -

petition your town/city, state and federal government to raise taxes high enough so we can put a police officer in every building, on every street corner, and in every house. Heck, with the right amount of money, we could have enough cops to do one-on-one 24/7/365 coverage if people want to pay for it. That would increase everybody's safety.

I understand the first choice leaves a bitter taste in some people's mouth.

But, IMO, it's better than the second choice given the second would be too oppressive.

It's also unrealistic.