So late last night the fire alarm went off, so as I was walking out of my room I made sure to lock the doors. As I returned back to my dorm 45ish minutes later, my door was unlocked and my neighbor across the hall told me that some of his items were taken. All of the RA’s and RM’s were outside taking our attendance at our designated meeting spot (I made sure to keep track of them) so that just leave the on campus police in the building. Without a warrant do the police need my consent to walk into my room and search it with complete intention of hiding this?
Very odd. I can’t answer your question but I wonder if your neighbor failed to closed and lock his door or if his roommate(s) are suspect.
The item that was taken was in a draw that was on the complete other side of the room, out of plain view. There is no way the cops just happened to stubble into it without conducting a search. And both of the kids are not suspect in the least which confuses me that much further.
Oops. Just re-reading this and see that your locked door was unlocked on your return. I would complain to the main housing management office about that. Was your neighbor’s missing item something an adult might want?
I don’t remember any campus police being around during our fire drills or alarms. It was always the firefighters/fire marshal on the scene and in the building making sure everyone left the building, and they didn’t have room keys. There should be limited group of people who have master keys.
Before I start to question what they did I just want to make sure they were in the wrong. From my understanding the only people that can go in my room without my consent is the RA and the RM and they were both in my sight outside the dorm room. And the police need a warrant or my consent and I doubt they got a warrant and they defiantly did not receive my consent.
Why don’t you just ask your RA why your room was unlocked when you returned from the drill and who could have unlocked it? Whatever that person answers will be more enlightening than any response you get here. How would anyone here be able to give you anything but opinion? Your particular school’s rules will determine what’s an acceptable search, not the responses on an Internet forum. At our son’s school, rooms are subject to search without warning at any/all times and doors are not locked.
First thought is that since you locked your dorm room that it had to be opened to make sure nobody was inside as a safety precaution. So just part of the plan.
Second–that the person whose item(s) were stolen might have had those items taken prior the drill but only realized it when getting back to his room and not during the drill… Especially since it wasn’t something in plain sight.
He hid the item as soon as the alarms started to ring, so it getting stolen prior to the drill is not possible. And the item wasn’t stolen it was confiscated as I don’t see many reasons another student would find any satisfaction is taking a single half full beer can. I was just curious as what I found out online was the mass majority of schools, the police cannot enter your room without either a warrant or my consent but the RA is allowed to search at any time for any reason. But every RA that attends my specific dorm was outside and I was sure to check.
And I would guess my room is on the top of the suspect list as I have recently been written up and accused of my room having a “interesting smell” leading to it.
But that still gives me no reason to think they would possibly obtain a warrant off of such a minor incident.
You need to distinguish between police and campus police. Campus police, as agents of the university, could be permitted to enter your room. What does your housing contract say?
What’s the damage? Your friend had a 1/2 can of illicit beer taken but wasn’t written up. Your room was opened but nothing more happened. Not a hill to die on.
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. At our son's school, rooms are subject to search without warning at any/all times and doors are not locked.<<<
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Right, you have a copy of the agreement you have signed, and it is probably on the internet, instead of asking here you could be looking through your documentation.
" I don’t see many reasons another student would find any satisfaction is taking a single half full beer can. "
LOL–So that’s the “stolen item”?
You need to watch “Don’t Talk to the Cops” on youtube. And I can’t remember the other salient video but sure it’s attached to this one. You sound like you need to watch all of them.
Basically (but I’m not a lawyer)–once the police have a legit reason to enter your room what they find (and the consequences) is on your dime.
That means you invite them in (or someone else does), they have any “reasonable cause” to suspect illegal behavior (–they see bottles of alcohol with underage minors, smell pot etc). No warrant needed.
In this case (using my cracked crystal ball meaning I’m only guessing), you had a fire drill which is a legit excuse to come into the room whether it was locked or not…
The guy across the hall probably “didn’t hide” his drinking as well as he thought it did. Doesn’t take much.
So his beer wasn’t “stolen” it was confiscated and hopefully it ends there.
“I have recently been written up and accused of my room having a “interesting smell” leading to it.”
Yeah. That’s the biggest and kindest first warning you’ll receive. They put it on record.
Get a clue. Don’t be stupid. Get a life.
“a single half full beer can”
No, I don’t imagine a warrant cuz they suspect Billy had a half full beer can. Nor, for that matter, setting up a fire drill to go catch the can.
Of course, various U staff are allowed entry. And when there’s any room inspection, including to check if anyone is inside, during a drill, verboten items may be confiscated. This isn’t about online, go look at your own housing policies. (Of course, police (or EMT) can enter your room for legit reasons. You want them to wait for a warrant or consent in an emergency?)
Your job is to work on the :interesting smells" outside your own room. You’re ontheir property, their rules. In many cases, the college is king.
Lol, he came out of his room to complain to you a half beer can went missing? Really? And you can only imagine it’s the police? Some fake fire drill? Some gross violation of civil rights? Ummm.
Simple solution: Just look at the rules in your housing contract and your state laws. Make sure you’re not breaking any of them. Suggest that your friends and neighbors do the same.
What did you guys turn this into hahaha, when did I say his items for stolen? I said taken also know as confiscated. And yes doing a planned fire drill to get us all out of our dorms where we can no longer stand up for our rights is a violation of our rights. And me get a life, you’re on a college website posting responses to kids questions all day, hmmm with 5,000 post. I simply asked if police need a warrant or my consent to search my dorm as neither was given. If they were just checking to make sure no one is left in the dorms for safety purposes, how many kids hide in a bed side draw??
You were given good advice, you should take it. Check your school’s search/housing policy. It really does vary from school to school.
And you are giving them consent to enter when you call the police, no further exceptions are needed. Don’t know where you were trying to go from there?
To most people that sounds like stolen, though your topic title makes it clear you meant confiscated.
Seems counter intuitive to insult the people trying to help you, though, no?