Chicago Police Subterfuge?
By Anonymous Chicago Gun Owner
On May 19, 2004, I was visited by three plain clothes police officers, identifying themselves as Chicago Police Officers (at least one wore a protective vest). They knocked on the front screen door while I was in the kitchen preparing dinner for my father and myself. After telling me they were with the Chicago Police, they asked
if an "Edward" lived at this address. I responded that my name is Edward.
They asked if there was a "young Edward" living here. I responded that I wasn't all that old (age 53), but I was the youngest person living here. They said they were looking for a late teens to early twenties Edward. They said they had a complaint from someone in the neighborhood about youngsters at this address smoking pot on the
driveway, and in the back of the house. I suggested that perhaps the complaints were about my neighbors to the north on the other corner of the intersection. I have often observed them in their back yard, drive, and garage, drinking, smoking marijuana, and generally being a nuisance by having their friends with the big speakers
that fill the trunk of the car play the pulsing bass beat that rattles our windows. I then offered to allow them to enter the back door of the house where my father was sitting to discuss this with my father and me and clear up any concerns.
My father, age 93, lost the ability to walk in February 2002. Since that time I have been his full time care giver. My father has since that time had a leg amputated, is incontinent, and dependent upon others for transfers from chair to bed, toilet, wheelchair, etc. There were many items of equipment, in plain view, used to
care for my father's needs, such as a ceiling mounted lift, power wheel chair, and powered standing frame to accomplish transfers.
The police made polite conversation for a few minutes, then said they had information that we had firearms registered in the City of Chicago. They then asked if they could give me a quick pat down to make sure I wasn't currently carrying a firearm. I was wearing a tee-shirt and short pants, and told them sure, go ahead.
I told the officers that at one time we did have firearms registered in Chicago, but upon submission of a renewal registration we were advised that one of the firearms included in the renewal had not been previously registered. That firearm was therefor no longer allowed to be registered. Since that time we had moved all the
firearms out of Chicago because it just wasn't worth the hassle of the registration.
They then asked what the structure was that was attached to the back our garage. I responded that it was a greenhouse. My father liked to garden, but hasn't been able to use it for a couple of years. They asked if they could look at it, as it was the type of area that the report of pot smoking had indicated. I allowed them to
look in the greenhouse and back yard.
When they returned into the house, they asked if I would mind them "looking around".
I told them I most certainly did not want them to look around. Then I asked them who had filed the report of pot smoking. They said they couldn't tell me, but it was a policeman that lived in the neighborhood. They would provide the name of their commander if I wished to call and talk with him.
I asked them to leave, and to this time that has been the end of the incident.
The problem is, this is the third of three incidents this spring related to Chicago registration of firearms within my very small circle of friends. The first was an acquaintance that had questions asked about firearms that were sold, and therefor not re-registered. Chicago police called to ask what happened to those firearms.
The second instance was an acquaintance that sent in re-registrations but did not get the registration cards back after the city cashed the check. After he called the cards were received within about a week.
It appears to me that the City of Chicago is making a drive to check every firearm that was previously registered, but not being currently re-registered. The firearms that I had registered were all registered for the last time in 1987.
In my opinion, the Chicago Police stopped by my house with the ruse of checking on pot smoking to gain entry into my home to check on firearms that had not been re-registered.
