police arresting people "wandering" blast zone.....

[EvilBlackGun]

Wasn't it at ...

... at Andrea's house??

Anyone heard from Rambone?

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

Authority lies in that the entire neighborhood is considered to be a crime until otherwise determined. Large scale incidents start with an enormous crime scene and are scaled back as areas are cleared and deemed safe. The search for blast evidence can be out as far as half a mile. It started last night while we were on scene and the fire was extinguished, and ran through the morning. Houses were checked for safety and homeowners were escorted on the scene to retrieve items from their houses if they were deemed safe.

This is the answer to my question. When the tornado slung trailer parts through my house there was no criminal investigation.

The mentioning of arrest is here (Some Indianapolis explosion evacuees being let back into Southeastside neighborhood | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com ) in the first link after the main story. You can look at it but the last sentence of that story is this, "The area remained without power and police threatened to arrest anyone found wandering through the affected neighborhood." Run all the way to the bottom to see it for yourself. Must be the news writer adding drama (like a whole neighborhood blowing up NEEDS more drama)

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

I tried the link but it was a different story. As the guy guarding the actual blast site all day, there was NEVER talk of arrest. We sealed off the neighborhood, it was evacuated prior to my arrival. We were told that there were still residents in homes in the "white" zone and that we could not force them out if they wanted to stay. The homes in the "yellow" and "red" zones were our main concern and the site of the explosion was 100% off-limits to everyone as a crime scene. City building inspectors were on scene, they tagged homes in the red zone as unlivable and they were to NOT be entered under any circumstances. Yellow could be but with escort of a fireman with protective gear in case of falling debris. Arrest was never brought up. Safety and securing against looters was our top priority. We had legal authority to keep people out of the red/yellow houses since they were tagged. However, we made every effort to get residents into the yellow (even a red or 2) to get their wallets, meds, etc. The report of arrest was BS.

Denny347, Tell us what its like to guard a disaster area, How did people react to the event and how do people respond afterwards when their homes were off limits? I have a hundred questions!

When my house got wrecked, there were tourists there before the first responders. My neighborhood is a closed block and one car an hour is heavy traffic, and that traffic is all residents. Immediately after the wind there was gridlock and the officials had to walk in! In less than ten minutes a guy who didn't live in the neighborhood was sorting things out of my garage. There were at least twenty strangers who were obviously shopping.

 

[jeremy]

Anyone heard from Rambone?

Have you called your Mom?!

 

[femurphy77]

The neighborhood blew up on the southside. I live at least 10 miles away and heard/felt the thump, indoors with the tv on.

Today, reading the news I see that they forced evacuation and are offering to arrest people who are going back home (http://www.indystar.com/article/201...de-blast?odyssey=mod|defcon|text|IndyStar.com)

Does anyone know the legal mechanism that would ban a person from their property without due process?

When a tornado dragged the whole trailer court over and past my house, the fire dept. tried to tell me the same thing, that I had to leave. I told them no thank you (in more colorful language) and closed my door. I never heard another peep after that.

What's the difference here? how do they bar access to people's property under threat of arrest?

It's because they have the guns and the jails. Of course they would NEVER falsely detain anybody or "lose" them in the system for any period of time while the "lost" person sat in some jail cell somewhere, would they?

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Damned if we do, damned if we don't. People ***** if we protect their property, people ***** if we don't protect their property.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

And yes, I was in the neighborhood last night 9:30pm-6am making sure it didn't get looted.

 

[Denny347]

Denny347, Tell us what its like to guard a disaster area, How did people react to the event and how do people respond afterwards when their homes were off limits? I have a hundred questions!

When my house got wrecked, there were tourists there before the first responders. My neighborhood is a closed block and one car an hour is heavy traffic, and that traffic is all residents. Immediately after the wind there was gridlock and the officials had to walk in! In less than ten minutes a guy who didn't live in the neighborhood was sorting things out of my garage. There were at least twenty strangers who were obviously shopping.

I was at the blast site. We had other officers at the entrance to the neighborhood. However, everyone seemed happy we were there and understandable. Once the sun came up and the scene settled down we were letting the residents in the white zone in unattended. All they needed was an ID that had their address on it. Eventually ALL residents will be able to return . Many of the houses will need shoring up to allow the contents to be removed. Having seen the inside of a couple of the red houses, it is scary how walls can shift so much on the inside but look ok on the outside. Besides guarding "ground zero" our number one concern was to prevent looting. So many of these houses had all their doors/windows blown in, making the house unsecurable. We had plenty of officers all around the neighborhood as well as our copter making sure these victims were not taken advantage of. Their lives were turned upside down by the blast. We did/are doing everything we can to keep them from having to worry about security. Everything they left will still be there when they return.

 

[Ted]

I don't disagree that an area considered to be an immediate threat to the public safety, is appropriate to quarantine. However, if a homeowner desires to contract an appropriate entity to reasonably shore up one's home in an attempt to regain temporary structural integrity to salvage items.......I don't see a problem.

When the tornado came through the Southside a few years ago, neighborhoods were cordoned off from people who didn't reside there. Of course, the damage was just widespread enough, that anyone could get through if they so desired.

This particular neighborhood would appear to be easier to secure.

 

[Denny347]

I don't disagree that an area considered to be an immediate threat to the public safety, is appropriate to quarantine. However, if a homeowner desires to contract an appropriate entity to reasonably shore up one's home in an attempt to regain temporary structural integrity to salvage items.......I don't see a problem.

When the tornado came through the Southside a few years ago, neighborhoods were cordoned off from people who didn't reside there. Of course, the damage was just widespread enough, that anyone could get through if they so desired.

This particular neighborhood would appear to be easier to secure.

I don't know that part of the plan. I am sure it will be taken care of. Yesterday we had private contractors trying to get in but we were only allowing homeowners. Quite frankly, between all the utility co vehicles, the firetrucks, ambulances, mobile canteen, command post, police vehicles, resident vehicles, construction equipment, and debris filling the streets, there is no room for private contractors. That will change in the next day or so I am sure. WE are only trying to help and doing a good job of it in my opinion.

 

[TheReaper]

And yes, I was in the neighborhood last night 9:30pm-6am making sure it didn't get looted.

So you were the one that was in the scene stealing people's property as drillsgt suggested??

 

[LegatoRedrivers]

Authority lies in that the entire neighborhood is considered to be a crime until otherwise determined. Large scale incidents start with an enormous crime scene and are scaled back as areas are cleared and deemed safe. The search for blast evidence can be out as far as half a mile. It started last night while we were on scene and the fire was extinguished, and ran through the morning. Houses were checked for safety and homeowners were escorted on the scene to retrieve items from their houses if they were deemed safe.

No, once it is a crime scene it does not matter that it is your property. I would liken a crime scene to small scale martial law.

If my house is two blocks away from the crime itself, I don't see how it could reasonably be considered a "crime scene."

And if the only damage to my property is the window that broke when a piece of the bomb (or other evidence) came flying through it, I'll treat the situation in the same way as if a neighbourhood kid threw a ball through it - I'm not handing it over until your parents pay for my window.

 

[public servant]

So you were the one that was in the scene stealing people's property as drillsgt suggested??

Surely you're not accusing him of this???

 

[TheReaper]

Surely you're not accusing him of this???

LOL, no, drillsgt is.

 

[public servant]

LOL, no, drillsgt is.

OK..you had me worried.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I imagine you'd just be out of luck and someone who was 'securing' your property would have a shiny new trinket. You only have rights to your property when the authorities decide they want you to, eminent domain-sorry, back taxes-sorry, wrong address on a warrant-sorry, a house down the road blows up-sorry.

So you were the one that was in the scene stealing people's property as drillsgt suggested??

Yep, thats all the police were there to do. We keep the homeowners out so we can go in and run amok. There are plenty of houses so all of the officers that have worked the detail so far have been able to score some shiny new trinkets.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

And while I was [STRIKE]looting[/STRIKE] guarding the neighborhood my squad partner and I saw smoke coming from one of the houses that burned. Apparently a hot spot flared up and a new fire started. We called it in and IFD showed up and [STRIKE]took some [/STRIKE][STRIKE]trinkets for themselves[/STRIKE] put the fire out.

 

[Rikkrack]

And while I was looting guarding the neighborhood my squad partner and I saw smoke coming from one of the houses that burned. Apparently a hot spot flared up and a new fire started. We called it in and IFD showed up and took some trinkets for themselves put the fire out.

Where was the purple....

 

[Denny347]

I imagine you'd just be out of luck and someone who was 'securing' your property would have a shiny new trinket. You only have rights to your property when the authorities decide they want you to, eminent domain-sorry, back taxes-sorry, wrong address on a warrant-sorry, a house down the road blows up-sorry.

Thanks for calling us thieves. Stay classy INGO.

 

[Ted]

Thanks for calling us thieves. Stay classy INGO.

Like any other profession, there will be those that dishonor it.

I'm sure that you at least suspect some individuals within the ranks.