Hypocritical Practices...

[kountryboy09168]

I live in Texas and I was wondering why it is legal for law enforcement agencies to display illegal weapons and used drug paraphernalia they have confiscated within their department's lobbies? Wouldn't that put the whole department in an illegal possession of those items seeing as how we as citizens are not aloud to possess them? I don't care if they are continuing to be used or not. If I just kept some used pipes of sorts around my residence even though they weren't being used any longer and the laws kicked in my door, they would still take me to jail no matter if I told them "Oh don't worry, they aren't being used anymore. That's why I keep them in that glass display case." So why can a department hang on to stuff, like mentioned above, from cases but, as citizens we're going to be taken to jail?

 

[quincy]

I live in Texas and I was wondering why it is legal for law enforcement agencies to display illegal weapons and used drug paraphernalia they have confiscated within their department's lobbies? Wouldn't that put the whole department in an illegal possession of those items seeing as how we as citizens are not aloud to possess them? I don't care if they are continuing to be used or not. If I just kept some used pipes of sorts around my residence even though they weren't being used any longer and the laws kicked in my door, they would still take me to jail no matter if I told them "Oh don't worry, they aren't being used anymore. That's why I keep them in that glass display case." So why can a department hang on to stuff, like mentioned above, from cases but, as citizens we're going to be taken to jail?

A law enforcement agency has a display of confiscated goods? Are you talking about evidence?

I just looked at your posting history on this site. It is best if you keep all of your questions to a single thread.

 

[FlyingRon]

Doubtful it is evidence (at least anymore). I've seen such displays in police station lobbies. It's "education" to parents and others as to what to look for.
One of my friends used to take pride that his bong was the one on display there (he escaped criminal charges).

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Not at all uncommon and it is no more illegal than the police having the same items locked up in an evidence locker.

 

[quincy]

I think it would be interesting for kountryboy09168 to file a police complaint alleging the police department is in possession of illegal drugs and weapons.

In Detroit, police departments will display for the press the illegal weapons and drugs and stolen items that have been confiscated, to illustrate the large quantity of illegal goods that are no longer in possession of criminals.

 

[Taxing Matters]

I live in Texas and I was wondering why it is legal for law enforcement agencies to display illegal weapons and used drug paraphernalia they have confiscated within their department's lobbies?

Weapons and drugs are not illegal in themselves. Rather, the law makes it illegal for certain persons to possess them. No law, however, makes it illegal for law enforcement agencies to have possession of either seized weapons or drugs.

 

[CavemanLawyer]

The prohibited weapons statute has an exception if you register the weapon with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record which is maintained by TABC. Basically you tell TABC what the item is and how it is going to be used and they can give you permission. Good luck getting a prohibited weapon approved for use in your own home but might happen if you were opening up a museum or something. Police displaying prohibited weapons in public would be perfectly legal and there'd be nothing hypocritical about it at all, if they property registered it with TABC.

There is a similar provision for controlled substances which is what allows police to put on presentations showing actual drugs or to use drugs to train their K9's.