Drug Warriors at work, keeping Raleigh safe... or something.

[yellowtail3]

Me? I think this is a damned waste of time and resources, and wonder… what is the payoff? Qui Bono?
Justification offered up for this middle-of-the-night raid: 

“According to arrest warrants, Beale had a single marijuana plant growing with the help of a light under his bathroom sink. Police charged that Bottomley had three marijuana seeds germinating in boxes on a windowsill.”

From the N&O: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/11/2405195/two-wolf-creek-apartments-residents.html
RALEIGH -- Police Thursday carried out their second middle-of-the-night drug raid this week in an area of student apartments off Hillsborough Road in west Raleigh.
They arrested Michael Anthony Bottomley, 36, and Jerry Devin Beale, 19, of 200 Wolf Way on charges of manufacturing marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Beale was arrested at 1:30 a.m. and Bottomley and hour later, according to online arrest reports.
About 3 a.m. Monday, officers arrested Brian James Mcveigh Jr. on heroin possession and other charges at his apartment on Whitehurst Way in the Retreat at Raleigh apartments a few blocks from where Bottomley and Beale live in the Wolf Creek Apartments.
According to arrest warrants, Beale had a single marijuana plant growing with the help of a light under his bathroom sink. Police charged that Bottomley had three marijuana seeds germinating in boxes on a windowsill.
Bottomley’s bond was set at $4,000 and Beale’s at $3,000.
According to arrest reports, both men work as restaurant cooks, Bottomley at a Red Lobster and Beale at a Burger King.
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/11/2405195/two-wolf-creek-apartments-residents.html#storylink=cpy

[SHOOTALL]

The hard drugs ok .
3 pot seeds ? manufacturing ? really that ain't even farming ..........who turned them in ? a service plumber ?

[Cuts Crooked]

Me? I think this is a damned waste of time and resources, and wonder… what is the payoff? Qui Bono?

Ok, that's cool. Now......where do YOU draw the line? Two plants? A semi load? Something in between?

[yellowtail3]

Me? I think this is a damned waste of time and resources, and wonder… what is the payoff? Qui Bono?

Ok, that's cool. Now......where do YOU draw the line? Two plants? A semi load? Something in between?

I'd draw it somewhere along the line of, it's none of their business what a free man eats, drinks, or smokes... or gardens. Jeeezzzz, don't the cops have some speedtraps to run, some patronizing lectures to give, and some donuts to eat somewhere? MUST they be assaulting/arresting citizens at 3am for having... an unapproved SINGLE PLANT in under their sink? (the answer is yes, gotta keep that drug war gravy train movin'...)

[Cuts Crooked]

I'd draw it somewhere along the line of, it's none of their business what a free man eats, drinks, or smokes... or gardens. Jeeezzzz, don't the cops have some speedtraps to run, some patronizing lectures to give, and some donuts to eat somewhere? MUST they be assaulting/arresting citizens at 3am for having... an unapproved SINGLE PLANT in under their sink? (the answer is yes, gotta keep that drug war gravy train movin'...)

Commendable I guess  
Unfortunately,or perhaps fortunately, the majority of our society does not agree with you. If they did we would have changed or gotten rid of our "controled substance" laws long ago.

[Victor3]

 It's not like the gentlemen could ignore the law and expect not to suffer the consequences if they got caught.
 
 Could the police choose not to do their duty in arresting pot growers? I suppose so, but I assume that they would eventually suffer some sort of consequences themselves if they chose to regularly ignore the law. Enforcing current law is after all "their business" like it or not.
 
 These minor pot busts can indeed end up being expensive for police departments though...
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182958/Police-Vt-farmer-crushed-cop-cars-tractor-revenge-drug-arrest.html

[Sourdough]

In some states what they had is legal, and this never would have happened.  Another good reason not to live on the east coast.

[SHOOTALL]

It's not like the gentlemen could ignore the law and expect not to suffer the consequences if they got caught.I agree
 
 Could the police choose not to do their duty in arresting pot growers?I would ask is arresting a guy with three seeds germinating cost effective ? Is their city so crime free they have time to work a case like this ? How many much more serious crimes were commited while cop time was being used up on three seeds ? I suppose so, but I assume that they would eventually suffer some sort of consequences themselves if they chose to regularly ignore the law. Enforcing current law is after all "their business" like it or not.
 
 These minor pot busts can indeed end up being expensive for police departments though...or much more to the point TAX PAYERS police departments pay nothing
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182958/Police-Vt-farmer-crushed-cop-cars-tractor-revenge-drug-arrest.html

[Victor3]

 Don't get me wrong; I see the point about cops wasting resources paid for with tax $$$ and I don't "feel" like this was a good use of their time. However, we don't really know all of the details as to why they went ahead with the bust.
 
 And yes, some cities don't  have enough crime to justify the size of of their police departments (although I doubt Raleigh's one of them). In those places the cops often have to find something to do that appears productive or risk losing out on that sparkling new fleet of Dodge Charger cruisers.
 
 Maybe the police chief's Son lived next door to the pot growers and turned them in to Dad. Stranger things have happened... 

[williamlayton]

HUMMMMM ! Under the laws of today and the way folks of the PD's operate in some places, I would suggest that most do as I have done and just quit--it aint worth the hassle.
There are places that where this phenominia is treated as it should be--a misdomenor. Still a hassle.
Until it is legal and I can do it under SANE laws--I won't do it.
Even if it were legal, I doubt that I would ever get back into it as a regular practice. Perhaps as I do beer and whiskey now days--ever once in a while as the mood strikes me. Last drink I had was a beer about 6 months ago with a friend.
Blessings