OAKLAND, Kalifornia - July 8, 2010 - In a little-known city program that critics say may be unconstitutional, cops join fire and building inspectors as they enter homes without a warrant and then arrest residents if they find anything illegal.
 
On a gloomy recent morning in West Oakland, tenants at the David Gray Building - or, Off-Ramp Studios, as everyone who lives there calls it - stood in the hallways outside their lofts. They gathered around their doors in nervous clusters and spoke in hushed tones, wondering aloud whether they should head to work or stay and observe while two Oakland police officers, two building services code enforcers, a fire inspector, and three property management representatives entered all of their units one by one.

Traditionally the entire procedure would have required a search warrant. But on this day, the group of cops and city officials were operating under a little-known Oakland city program called "SMART" - Specialized Multi-Agency Response Team - that some legal experts say is unconstitutional. That's because they enter people's homes without consent or a warrant.

At the Off-Ramp Studios, they also entered one loft when no one was home. It was Unit 103. They knocked on the locked door and got no response. After about a minute of waiting, the building manager, who was carrying a tray of keys, opened the door, and everyone entered.

Inside were the remnants of a large, multi-level grow operation, including what appeared to be psilocybin mushroom caps and potted marijuana plants that had been sawed off. There also was evidence of methamphetamine production, according to fire inspector Vincent Crudele, who called the unit a potential felony crime scene. The officers hauled away large Ziploc bags filled with evidence seized from the inspection, and Crudele ordered the unit to be completely cleaned out by property management within 48 hours.

Ed. Note: This is nothing more than government thuggery. Regardless of whether or not someone has illegal substances in his house; the government has no right to ever enter a private abode without first establishing probable cause based on evidence and obtaining a warrant. Otherwise, the government thugs are the criminals, as is the case here. When is enough, enough? Revolution Now! Independence Forever!