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SWAT teams now being used to break-up poker games
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On May 29, Maine State Police raided a charity poker game at the Narragansett Pythian Sisters Temple, in Buxton. The game was being held to raise money for the local food bank. The police confiscated poker chips, playing cards, and $500 in cash which would have been donated to the food bank. Maine State Police say they raided the game because the group did not have a permit to hold the game. Lt. David Bowler of the Maine State Police said: "In this particular case they weren't licensed, and they knew they weren't and they knew they needed one.” Food bank volunteer Joann Groder, 72, is very upset about the loss of the money and is worried how it will be replaced. Groder said: We've had a lot of people who come here -- people who are out of work, people who have cancer. We have a lot of people.” While this case may seem outrageous, it is only the latest in a string of such incidents across the country. In January 2008, a SWAT team in San Mateo County, CA burst into a home where a regular poker game was being held. Officers separated and questioned participants, holding them for hours. Police allege that the hosts were taking in a fee or ‘rake’ from the players, which is illegal in most states. The hosts did charge $5 from each player to help cover the refreshments they provided for every game. Police seized $1,300 in cash. In addition to being charged with running an illegal gambling operation, the couple was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and their13-year-old daughter was taken away by police and turned over to child protective services. In 2006, a 52 member SWAT team stormed into a Denver, CO home in search of a friendly small-stakes poker game. Also, in 2006, Baltimore, MD SWAT and K-9 units barged in on a charity poker game. *Reporter’s note: There has been a growing trend among police departments in this country of using aggressive, military tactics against non-violent offenders. Now, they are using these tactics against people committing very minor infractions (not purchasing a permit for a charity poker game). If you plan on having a yard sale this summer, better remember to buy a permit first. Otherwise, you may have an M16 shoved in your face and your children led away in leg irons. ? ?
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