STANDARD FOR SEARCH WARRANTS IS APPALLING

There's a lot to be shocked about concerning the fouled-up police raid
Sunday night on the Abbotsford home of the Fast family.

But the most worrying aspect in Province columnist Ethan Baron's
report Wednesday about the botched operation was a statement
attributed to one sergeant that "all he had to do was say he smelled
marijuana growing" to secure a warrant to search someone's home.
Police later claimed they provided "visual indicators" of marijuana to
get the warrant, but wouldn't say what those were.

Whatever "visual indicators" they claim to have seen couldn't have
been, for instance, actual marijuana, since none was found at the
Fasts' home. And police admitted that before the raid that they were a
little bewildered when they checked that none of the Fasts had
criminal records. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to give anyone in
the department pause to reconsider launching a raid by multiple
officers with guns drawn and handcuff the entire family in front of
their neighbours and stuff them into police cruisers.

The red-faced police are now investigating how they could mess up so
badly. But a more important question for the government is for someone
to look into which judge or justice of the peace in Abbotsford is
issuing search warrants based on the vague smell of pot in the
neighbourhood. By that low standard, any homeowner could suddenly find
cops in their home and guns in their face. And that should never
happen in a country that claims to be free.

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