Aldenberg voices concern with anti-no knock warrant legislation

MANCHESTER, N.H. –   At the March 1 Manchester Police Department Community Advisory Board, Manchester Police Department Chief Allen Aldenberg expressed concerns about a pending bill intended to eliminate no-knock warrants in New Hampshire.

Aldenberg said that the public conception regarding no-knock warrants, where police officers storm into a building without warning, is not accurate in Manchester. While he said that Manchester Police will engage in “dynamic” warrant operations when an individual is in danger and immediate response is required, normally police seek to gain control of access and egress points into a building during these procedures and attempt to remove the wanted individual from the building peacefully through verbal commands, preceded by intelligence gathering to determine how to minimize harm to police officers and individuals within the building. He said that the primary concern is always protecting the lives of citizens and officers, with evidence obtained during a warrant procedure being a secondary concern.

He added that no-knock warrants also require a pre-approval process where data such as the likelihood of weapons in a building or the aggressiveness of a suspect is taken into account before the operation can proceed, with a judge required to sign off on that analysis.

Aldenberg also added that during situations where it is determined that an individual may be in mental health crisis, a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team will leave the area without taking action if the individual is a danger to themselves and not others and no crime has been committed.

Alderman At-Large June Trisciani confirmed this policy, noting a standoff in her neighborhood that took 14 hours. Photojournalist Jeff Hastings, who frequently follows first responders in the line of duty, also confirmed Aldenberg’s  statements, saying that he has not seen a shot fired during a no-knock warrant operation over the nearly two decades he has seen police perform them in  Manchester.

Aldenberg noted that situations may differ in other parts of the country where law enforcement policies differ or are non-existent regarding these procedures, but urged anyone to note an instance where it had been a problem in New Hampshire.

He also urged individuals concerned with no-knock warrant operations elsewhere in the country to also look at the backgrounds of those officers and whether they have acted unprofessionally in the past.

The bill Aldenberg referenced, HB 135, advanced out of committee last week after an amendment that would essentially put New Hampshire in line with federal standards regarding no-knock warrants. That amendment, and the ought-to-pass as amended recommendations were each recommended by the committee 19-1, with Jonah Wheeler (D-Peterborough) voting in opposition.

The board also discussed SB 132, a bill outlawing sanctuary cities in New Hampshire.

Police Commissioner Eva Castillo expressed frustration with this bill, given that it would undermine two decades of trust built with the city’s immigrant community, adding that she has no problem with deporting non-documented individuals who commit violent crimes.

Aldenberg noted that police do not ask individuals for their immigration status and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) generally does not act on minor immigration infractions.

It was also noted during the board meeting that the “sanctuary city” moniker for Manchester is not accurate, as Manchester Police does coordinate with ICE to apprehend immigrants who have broken laws and pose a safety risk to the community.