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Warning: No One Is Safe from SWAT Raids

Submitted by David Borden on (Issue #585)
Drug War Issues

I'm pleased to announce our new online video, "SWAT Raids -- No One Is Safe." Please visit http://www.swatreform.org to watch it.

When you're done, please sign our "Petition for Responsible SWAT Reform"; and please inform your friends, family members, and mailing lists you're on about http://www.swatreform.org so they can watch the video and sign the petition too.

"SWAT Raids -- No One Is Safe" is based on the 2008 case of Cheye Calvo, Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, whose home was stormed and two dogs killed by a SWAT team during a botched marijuana investigation. Last month the Maryland General Assembly passed groundbreaking legislation, proposed by Mayor Calvo, requiring SWAT teams to report on their activities so the public can know.

Our web site will send copies of your petition to your own state legislators, and to Congress and the Attorney General, helping Mayor Calvo and others get SWAT reform legislation passed in Congress and in states across the nation. Please visit http://www.swatreform.org to watch the video, sign the petition and spread the word so this can happen.

The overuse of SWAT teams is one of many abuses in our failing "drug war" -- visit http://www.swatreform.org for information about this troubling problem -- and to do something about it. Also, please click here to donate to this effort.

Thank you for standing up for justice,

David Borden
Executive Director

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

Did the mayor actually possess or grow Marijunana ? or was it a case of the wrong person and house ? "poor dogs!

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 6:37pm Permalink
borden (not verified)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

It's even worse than it sounds -- the police actually delivered the marijuana to the home. They intercepted a box addressed to his house, delivered it disguised as police officers, then waited inside a van until he came home and took the box inside to storm the place. It was later determined to have been a UPS employee, who'd intended to come and pick the box up before the mayor or his wife returned home, but who didn't do that. That sort of thing has happened in the area recently.

David Borden, Executive Director
StoptheDrugWar.org: the Drug Reform Coordination Network
Washington, DC
http://stopthedrugwar.org

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 7:03pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

No one is safe stooge that works for the eugenecists!

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 10:07pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Mayor Calvo was almost murdered for doing it. If he had panicked and make one tiny 'wrong' move, Prince George's county thug cops would have gladly blown him away along with his dogs. The cops in this country reserve the right to kill you if you bring the wrong USPS/UPS etc package into your home
-newageblues

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 12:44pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

This use of violence over a plant makes me sick. Our founding fathers grew it and it was a major part of the development of our country. This must be stopped! Cannabis is a very good plant for the enviroment and for the medicinal compounds in it. We have lost our way and we need to rethink this whole WAR ON DRUGS! Some drugs that is. The drug companies drugs kill more than the so called illegal does. Alcohol kills many and tobacco what medical value does that have. You can not overdose from cannabis. You can die from taking to many aspirin. What kind of logic are we using, NONE that is not racially driven or just plain made up LIES! Jon LEAP or any other program that will help stop the violence. The only reason there is violence associated with drugs is because they are prohibited. Regulate and you take the profit out of it and the violence will stop! I support treatment If the person wants it. beating them up to conform to your way of thinking is what the nazis would of done. So do what Jesus would of done. Have a hand out for them tont a gun!

Thu, 05/21/2009 - 12:32pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

This use of violence over a plant makes me sick. Our founding fathers grew it and it was a major part of the development of our country. This must be stopped! Cannabis is a very good plant for the enviroment and for the medicinal compounds in it. We have lost our way and we need to rethink this whole WAR ON DRUGS! Some drugs that is. The drug companies drugs kill more than the so called illegal does. Alcohol kills many and tobacco what medical value does that have. You can not overdose from cannabis. You can die from taking to many aspirin. What kind of logic are we using, NONE that is not racially driven or just plain made up LIES! Jon LEAP or any other program that will help stop the violence. The only reason there is violence associated with drugs is because they are prohibited. Regulate and you take the profit out of it and the violence will stop! I support treatment If the person wants it. beating them up to conform to your way of thinking is what the nazis would of done. So do what Jesus would of done. Have a hand out for them not a gun!

Thu, 05/21/2009 - 12:34pm Permalink

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