Re: "X-Ray Gun" for imperceptible searches

[tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)]

At 3:12 AM 8/13/96, Alan Horowitz wrote:
>CCW holders don't have a legal right to conceal their possession of
>weapon, from the police.
>

I think the earlier remark was oriented toward "not scaring the horses"
rather than making a serious attempt to hide the presence of a gun from a
duly-authorized search.

People who carry concealed are _strongly_ encouraged to keep the fact of
their concealed carry hidden. No "careless" displays in bars, for example.
And no announcement to casual bystanders, and even to store security
guards.

The reason for this is simple: to avoid panic and overreaction ("He's got a
gun!!") and also to avoid having a concealed weapon used in a brandishing
situation to intimidate others.

Seen this way, the widespread deployment of metal detectors, millimeter
wave detectors, and other such gadgets would force major changes in CCW
laws.

Aside from the Constitutional issues, which are major.

I don't see how "remote scanning" of the population at large, without
probable cause, is much different from the cops listening in from a
distance with parabolic antennas. Both cases involve detection of signals
emitted from the target. And yet such long-distance interception is not
allowed without a warrant.

--Tim May

Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
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