Boo! Booo!! Booooo!!!

Police plan safe Halloween party

No matter how good the chain saw looks with your Halloween costume, Austin police officers will permanently confiscate it if you bring it to this year's party.

No authentic, simulated or potential weapons, including baseball bats, hockey sticks or swords, will be allowed inside a barricaded area bordered by Brazos, Fifth and Seventh streets and the Interstate 35 frontage road. People will not be allowed to bring in alcohol or glass bottles. Hazardous materials and items such as flour, talcum powder or other powdery substances also are banned.

I understand the lines of thought the people who support these kinds of decrees follow:

dangerous time of terrorism + buncha crazy drunk people milling around + costumes and masks and nighttime + typical Halloween pranksters and deviants out doing their thing = Imposition of Overwhelming Police Presence & New Rules for All.

Fine. I don't agree with the notion that anything outside the boundaries of private businesses in a city's heart is the realm of the public sphere and is therefore subject to the whims of the city's government and law enforcement authorities...but that's the way it is now and they have assumed the duty of keeping the peace as peaceful as possible. Dislodging this particular form of collectivism is well nigh impossible for the foreseeable long distance future.

But permanent confiscation within the confines of this map of any "potential weapons"?!?! That solidly fits my definition of an unreasonable seizure and deprivation of property without due process of law. Any takers?

Partygoers will not have to walk in a set direction during the event, said police spokesman Joe Munoz. The change, which was made about two years ago, will allow people to cross the street without having to walk several blocks out of their way, he said.

Brings to mind the treatment of cattle, doesn't it?

UPDATE(10/30/2003 12:55am)
View the APD press release here.

Posted by Drizzten at October 29, 2003 12:51 PM