When District of Columbia police begin their door-to-door search for illegal weapons in Southeast D.C. early next month, officers may meet resistance to the voluntary checks among residents.
Southeast resident Ed Harris, a Vietnam veteran and a National Rifle Association member who lost his son to gun violence, said the police will never enter his home without a warrant.
“I didn’t get wounded in Vietnam to let someone come into my home and search and seize any weapons,” said Harris, a U.S. Post Office employee. “It’s turning D.C. into a police state under the guise of amnesty.”
Harris said he was offended that the District was targeting predominantly black neighborhoods
“It assumes that black people commit crimes,” he said.
Officers were scheduled to begin visiting homes in the Washington Highlands neighborhoods on Monday. Under the gun amnesty program, residents who agree to let officers search their homes won’t be arrested if police find any illegal weapons.
But police delayed plans to go door-to-door in search of illegal weapons so officers could let residents know the searches are voluntary, officials said.
The program is aimed at parents and guardians who believe their children or other relatives have guns, police said.
Mark Banks, a neighbor of Harris, said the program was a waste of money because criminals with guns won’t let officers into their homes. He said the program was a violation of his rights.
“They should start in Georgetown and see how that turns out, then come see us,” said Banks, 47.
D.C. police spokeswoman Traci Hughes said the department was not going to violate residents’ civil rights or advocate for a police state.
The department was focusing on areas with the highest violent crime rates, she said. Police plan to visit other areas, including Columbia Heights in Northwest and Eckington in Northeast.
“We’re not targeting anyone, we’re not singling anyone out,” Hughes said. “We won’t come into anyone’s home unless theywant us to.”
Eighteen police officers were undergoing 10 hours of training to search the homes, she said. She said they’ll begin the searches in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, police will pass out brochures explaining the program.
Stephen Hicks contributed to this story.
