electricland

I'm all for catching the Parkdale killer, but I'm not comfortable with this tactic.

A team of 20 officers is going door to door, asking residents to sign a consent form allowing a search of closets, basements and freezers, looking for evidence linked to the discovery of a woman's dismembered torso in an alleyway three weeks ago.

...

Almost everyone in Parkdale who has been asked has let officers in. But police confirm that saying no will land a resident on a list of potential murder suspects.

By the sounds of it, they are pressuring people fairly strongly. Call me selfish, call me lacking in public spirit, but I'd be inclined to say "No. You want to consider me a suspect? You want to search my house? Fine. Come back with a warrant."

Of course, I'm a white, educated, Canadian-born female, which is likely to put me at the bottom of a list of suspects and means I have more resources for standing up for my rights. If I were an immigrant from a police state, I suspect this would freak me right the hell out.

(I'm also quite surprised by the number of people on