Before the Canada Day Fireworks in my city, the local Police were searching buses and some private vehicles that were going down town for booze. Any that was found was seized even if was still sealed and in an adults backpack. While there are laws against drinking in public and having an open drink in public, arbitrary search and seizure of any alcohol just because it is found in a certain geographical area is unjust.

The cops have a duty to prevent things from getting out of hand. Yet the seizures do not help prevent the public drunkenness that causes problems since downtown bars and restaurants were still serving liquor and there was nothing preventing drunk people from coming downtown.

However the bus I took downtown just as the fireworks ended was not searched (fortunately for my friend’s beer in my backpack) and most of the people I was with were drunk. The effect of the treat of search was that people finished drinking before they went downtown.