Bill would expand probation searches

Submitted by bniolet on February 10, 2009 - 11:14am.
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House and Senate Republicans touted a bill Tuesday that would allow all law enforcement officers to conduct a warrantless search on any probationer.

The bill is in response to a series in The News & Observer that found that the state's probation system frequently lost track of its charges. One story reported that a probation officer was disciplined for conducting a search on a probationer who was living in another county.

The bill, which is still in the drafting stages, would require judges to place all supervised probationers on a restriction that requires them to submit to warrantless searches. Currently, that restriction is not mandatory.

The bill would also allow any sworn officer or any probation officer to conduct those searches. The idea, said Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger is to make it easier to keep an eye on probationers. It would also seek to correct instituational failings, such as restrictions on probation officers who want to find violators.

"I think the first thing that needs to be done is we need to get bureaucracy cleaned up," Berger said.

Berger also said he is asking the state's probation officials to post on its Web site the names and photos of some 14,000 probationers that have been "lost" in the system.

The bill would also require drug testing for all probationers. Drug testing is currently ordered only in certain cases.

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Re: Bill would expand probation searches

Submitted by mrcrosby on February 10, 2009 - 8:33pm.

This is mearly a "dog and pony show" probation officers have been able to do warrantless searches on probationeers for years now. This will change absolutely nothing.

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Re: Bill would expand probation searches

Submitted by peterlyon on February 10, 2009 - 7:30pm.

So much for the Bill of Rights! I cannot wait to see wht happens to the rest of them during Barry O's administration.

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Re: Bill would expand probation searches

Submitted by bigsurmac on February 10, 2009 - 6:02pm.

SUPPOSEDLY ULTRA-LIBERAL, FAINT-HEARTED CALIFORNIA has always provided for any law enforcement officer, parole officer, probation officer, member of district attorneys' staffs, or judge to conduct an unannounced, random stop and search of any parolee or probationer.
Conservative Arizona and the other freedom oriented western states follow the same rules.
To discover that old school, conservative North Carolina has been hamstringing probation officers and all others from conducting random, spur of the moment searches of any and all probationers and parolees, is mind-boggling.
Particularly in the situation of convicted drug dealers, sex offenders and those convicted of crimes of violence -- Stopping and searching once every hour should be standard if the officers observe these people breathing, walking, talking or with their eyes open [or closed]in public.
Felons of major dimensions do not have rights protecting them from stop, search and arrest, as long as they remain on probation.
Accepting probation to achieve release from behind bars -- they accept stop, se3arch and arrest for violations at any time, any place, in any company.

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Re: Bill would expand searches on probationers

Submitted by wetry2 on February 10, 2009 - 12:19pm.

It should have been mandatory a long time ago along with making drug screens mandatory instead of "optional" for the court. I thought our government officials were aware of these things. Must have been talking to the wrong folks, probably need to talk with the ones who actually do the work, get paid less and don't have potted plant issues.

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