British Police Are Breaking Into Homes To Highlight Robbery Risk

British police may not have the same reputation for brutality as American police do; but, like our cops, they sure seem to think they are above the law. Police in the city of Coventry have apparently started breaking into homes without any kind of warrant. The reason? So they can let homeowners know how easy it would be for burglars to break in.

The police patrolled the streets looking for opened windows and unlocked doors and gates. Rather than minding their own business, they used these openings to enter the homes and warn residents about how vulnerable they are. Then they took pictures inside these homes, and posted them to Twitter. The police claim they haven’t received any complaints, and the responses from residents have been positive.

The Twitter users who saw these images however, were not so enthusiastic. One person tweeted “I’m not sure where you stand legally entering a private home without a warrant. Unlocked doors don’t give permission” while another added “If you enter my home like this, don’t be surprised if I use reasonable force when I hear you.” They were also criticized for essentially advertising which homes were unsecured. The police responded, completely unperturbed by these complaints “Thanks for all the feedback on one of the burglary prevention tactics. We’ll review based on feedback #socialmediasuccess ?”

You’d think this sort of thing could only happen in a country where private gun ownership is highly restricted, but American police have done something similar. Last year, police in Illinois startedentering unlocked cars without permission, so they could issue faux tickets that listed all the personal belongings that could have been stolen.

Joshua Krause is a reporter, writer and researcher at The Daily Sheeple. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and is a freelance writer and author. You can follow Joshua’s reports at Facebook or on his personalTwitter. Joshua’s website is Strange Danger.