Pubdate: Wed, 20 Feb 2002
Source: Bucks County Courier Times (PA)
Copyright: 2002 Calkins Newspapers. Inc.
Contact: http://www.phillyburbs.com/feedback/content_cti.shtml
Website: http://www.phillyburbs.com/couriertimes/index.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1026

SNIFFING OUT TROUBLE

Our view: A law that would allow police dogs to sniff out drugs and 
explosives at self-storage facilities deserves passage.

Sept. 11 got all of us thinking differently. Safety and security, for 
example, have become more than just issues of passing interest. They now 
top the national agenda.

They also are part of the agenda in Middletown, where officials are 
considering a law that would allow police dogs to sniff out drugs and 
explosives at self-storage facilities. If a dog hits on a unit from the 
outside, police could seek a warrant to search the inside.

We like that sort of preemptive thinking and hope the township supervisors 
put the law on the books. Encouragingly, at least one of the township's 
self-storage owners welcomes the searches.

"We strive diligently to make sure all our customers obey the law and don't 
store anything illegal and hazardous," said Bruce Manley of United 
Stor-All. "We would be willing and active participants in anything that 
would encourage people to obey the law."

That's good to hear. As we've witnessed in recent months, reasonable ways 
to enhance security have run into unreasonable concerns about lost 
liberties. At least nobody's raising those concerns in Middletown.

In fact, Supervisor Mel Kardos, a lawyer, doesn't see any constitutional 
problems with the proposal. "The worst that could happen," he said, "is 
that a search might be declared illegal and charges dismissed." In that 
case, he added, "the materials would still be off the street."

That's the whole point. We hope nobody loses sight of it when the 
supervisors bring their proposal up for a vote.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens