A small organic farm in Arlington, Texas, was the target of a massive police action last week that included aerial surveillance, a SWAT raid and a 10-hour search.
Members of the local police raiding party had a search warrant for marijuana plants, which they failed to find at the Garden of Eden farm. But farm owners and residents who live on the property told a Dallas-Ft. Worth NBC station that the real reason for the law enforcement exercise appears to have been code enforcement.
Local authorities had cited the Garden of Eden in recent weeks for code violations, including "grass that was too tall, bushes growing too close to the street, a couch and piano in the yard, chopped wood that was not properly stacked, a piece of siding that was missing from the side of the house, and generally unclean premises," Smith's statement said. She said the police didn't produce a warrant until two hours after the raid began, and officers shielded their name tags so they couldn't be identified. According to ABC affiliate WFAA, resident Quinn Eaker was the only person arrested -- for outstanding traffic violations.
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Well seeing as this happened just down the road from me, I guess I should comment, huh? Basically, the area this place is in had been recently built up with expensive homes, and this group doesn't fit in to their lifestyle... so complaints are filed and the police will harass.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of thing worked out better historically. Now, with the internet, its much harder for this sort of thing to happen unchallenged. I mean, look... a blogger in Poland is writing about it... And everyone here is perfectly aware that this little raid costs the taxpayers well over $10,000, for no results at all.
Claude, it couldn't go unnoticed by me. The word has to be spread.
ReplyDeleteThanks for 'insider' comment.