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Police Union Head Questions Search Warrant And SWAT Bills

GOP Authors Say They Will Protect Civil Liberties, Help Community-Police Relations

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The head of Wisconsin’s statewide police union says he has some concerns about a Republican proposal to increase public awareness about no-knock search warrants and the activities of local SWAT teams.

One of the bills sponsored by state Rep. Dean Knudson and Sen. Duey Stroebel would require every police department in the state to create a written policy for carrying out no-knock search warrants. Wisconsin Professional Police Association director Jim Palmer said each no-knock warrant is unique, making it difficult to create a policy that covers all cases where police search a house without warning the resident first.

“While we appreciate the intent behind the legislation, we think it will do little to clarify in the minds of the public how they’re supposed to be used,” he said.

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The other bill requires police departments to publish annual reports describing each use of a SWAT team. Palmer said because police never know if suspects in a SWAT raid are armed, detailed reports may create public confusion and distrust of the practice.

The bill’s authors say their goal is twofold: to protect civil liberties and promote public trust in law enforcement actions that many consider controversial and overly militaristic.

According to Palmer, Utah is the only state that has similar SWAT and no-knock laws on the books. Maryland passed one such law, but it had a sunset clause in it and is no longer enforced.