Policy

No-knock warrants, a war-on-drugs tactic, fall out of favor

Legislators in Colorado, Minnesota and New Hampshire have all advanced bills this year restricting or limiting no-knock warrants.
A crowd gathered for a rally to demand justice in the death of Breonna Taylor on the steps of the the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., Thursday, June 25, 2020. Taylor was killed in her apartment by members of the Louisville Metro Police Department during the execution of a no knock warrant on March 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

A string of avoidable tragedies that have raised tensions between police and the Black community has persuaded lawmakers in several states that the no-knock warrant, a police tactic that grew increasingly common during the darkest days of the war on drugs, needs to be retired.

Legislators in Colorado, Minnesota and New Hampshire have all advanced bills this year restricting or limiting no-knock warrants — something that gives the police the authority to execute a warrant without announcing their presence or presenting the presumed suspect with a warrant before a search is conducted.

Stay informed
Subscribe to keep reading.

Sign up today to get the latest state new at your fingertips and in your inbox.