In this time of civil unrest, injustices on the part of law enforcement are thankfully being highlighted more than usual. I ask that we bring at least some of our attention to one of those injustices, one that is harder to film with a camera phone, No-Knock Warrants. No-knock warrants are a violation of civil liberty, lead to unnecessary violence against civilians, and the reason we lost Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. I am asking that county and town leadership within Orange County, NC be national leaders on this issue and act proactively to prevent wrongful deaths at the hands of police officers by banning no-knock warrants.

No-knock warrants are issued by a judge and allows law enforcement officers to enter a property without notification of the residents. It is done so when the judge and law enforcement officers agree that announcing their arrival would hamper achievement of whatever goal the officers desire. This vague and irresponsibly under-detailed requirement is currently allowed under North Carolina General Statutes - Chapter 15A Article 11 Section 251. This is a dangerous amount of power for state and local governments to give itself, and it has been abused over time. According to the Washington Post, there were 1,500 no-knock warrants issued in the early 1980s whereas there were 45,000 in 2010 alone, and the number of no-knock warrants issued has likely increased since.

Orange County has been my home my whole life. It is a truly exceptional area and a gem of the United States. I want our leaders to be proactive on this issue and not let one of our towns be the next Louisville, Kentucky.  I urge you to sign this petition and support this effort, especially if you have lived, worked, or studied in Orange County, NC at any point in your life.. My goal is to submit this as part of a proposal to every County Commissioner, Mayor, and Town Council member within Orange County, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough.