The Miami Springs Police Department released the audio of the phone call that led to the police response.
Recorded Police Call re: 850 Bluebird Ave
You may recall, we recently published a Letter to the Editor where resident Linda Bower alleged that Miami Springs Police invaded her home because the door was open.
Obviously, the police can’t just enter your home without a search warrant. However, they can enter your home if they have probable cause.
When listening to the call to emergency dispatch, you can hear a neighbor concerned as he saw a home with the front door open and nobody responding when he approached.
The phone call by itself doesn’t give the police the right to enter a home, but let’s look at the totality of the situation. The police get a call from a concerned neighbor. They arrive and find the door to the house is open, confirming the concern from the neighbor. They announce themselves without a response.
Now, at this point, the Miami Springs Police have probable cause. And here’s what they would be looking for:
- Is someone injured inside the home?
- Was there a break-in?
- Does someone need help?
Furthermore, we’re blessed to live in Miami Springs where we have a responsive police force that gets to virtually any call in mere minutes. And our officers have proven to be very kind, courteous, and professional.
Of course, let’s put ourselves in Linda Bower’s position. She claims she was working in her home. She knew her door was open. It’s not illegal to leave your door open. She said she was coming in and out of her home. She apparently didn’t hear the neighbor who knocked on her door. So imagine her surprise to have officers startle her inside her own home. I think we can all understand why she might be upset.
Resident alleges MSPD invaded her home because the door was open
The good news here is that nobody was hurt. No home was broken into. And we are blessed to have a team of officers who responded so quickly to the situation.
Again, we can sympathize with a homeowner minding her own business and getting startled by a bunch of police officers in her own home. We can understand why she might feel like her privacy was violated.
Simultaneously, we can understand the perspective from the police force. Imagine, if they arrive see a door open, receive no response, and don’t do anything. Imagine, if someone inside was injured and the police had done nothing. What would we be saying then?
Ultimately, the police have a difficult job to do. Sometimes in doing their job, they will upset residents. However, it seems to me that they did the right thing here.
What do you think? We always welcome contrasting points of views. Share your thoughts in the comments section or via social media.
