Pubdate: Thu, 14 Apr 2011
Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)
Copyright: 2011 Columbia Daily Tribune
Contact:  http://www.columbiatribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/91
Author: Brennan David

DRUG-RELATED SWAT RAID NUMBERS DROP OFF

Columbia police have not conducted a single dynamic entry using their
SWAT team in 2011, and Chief Ken Burton attributes that to last year's
changes in policy.

The Special Weapons and Tactics team served 25 narcotic search
warrants in 2010 and used SWAT for a dynamic entry -- an approach using
high-risk police tactics -- on at least 10 occasions last year, police
said. A Tribune public information request last year identified 10
dynamic entries by May 11.

Burton told the Citizens Police Review Board during its monthly
meeting last night that narcotic search warrants have been served in
2011, but none required a dynamic entry. Before a February 2010 SWAT
raid on Kinloch Court that became the subject of wide public
criticism, dynamic entries were used for all narcotic search warrants,
former Deputy Chief Tom Dresner said.

The number of 2011 narcotic search warrants served was not available
this morning.

"We are taking the proper precautions," Burton said. "Significant
changes have been made in a way we do search warrants that it has not
warranted a dynamic entry yet this year."

Burton has previously acknowledged mistakes in the Feb. 11, 2010, raid
on Jonathan Whitworth's home in southwest Columbia that resulted in
the death of a family dog. He followed that with changes to fix those
errors.

Now, police policies require a target location be kept under
surveillance at all times, something that did not happen in
Whitworth's case. If surveillance is interrupted or compromised for
any reason, the search warrant might not be authorized or might be
changed to reflect the manner in which it can be served.

And if there are children around -- which was the case in the Whitworth
raid -- police won't use dynamic entries unless it's an extreme
circumstance.

Mainly, Burton said, police need to execute search warrants within a
reasonable amount of time, typically eight hours.

Although more than a year has passed since the Whitworth raid,
Columbia residents were petitioning the review board last night to
recommend more policy changes stating that dynamic entries are not to
be used for "nonviolent crimes."

Attorney Dan Viets and former Columbia City Council candidate Mitch
Richards defined the crimes at issue as the use or possession of marijuana.

Columbia voters passed an ordinance in 2004 saying people found in
possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana should be penalized with
a violation of city ordinance in city court rather than being arrested
and charged with a violation of state laws. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.