Explosion in Nashville this morning.

[onlinebiker]

It does SOUND like the cops dropped the ball on this - but -

You have to consider the reporting party....

Was this woman believable?  We do have rights to process of law.  The cops just had heresay evidence - and no search warrant.

Sure - as a monday morning quarterback you can insist "they should have known!".

How? How does a cop tell the difference between an agitated ex with an axe to grind - and a legitimate tip about illegal activity? Do you really want them to send in the SWAT team every time someone makes an accusation?

Not me.

When my ex left - she fabricated a bunch of shit and got a restraining order against me. Just for spite I suppose. 

The cops know exes do bullshit like that....

I get what you are saying.  They needed to have probable cause to do a search without permission.  And maybe the girlfriend was trying to cause trouble - it's happens.  A lot of people have an issue with simply going their separate ways.

However, when someone says that someone is building a bomb in an RV in their yard and you can see that the RV is fenced off and surrounded by lights and cameras...maybe, just maybe, you ask around.   It's not illegal to talk to the neighbors.  It's not illegal to surveil him.  It's not illegal to find out if he has been shopping for bomb making components.

She didn't say he's brewing bathtub gin in the RV...she said he was making bombs and it looked as though he went to pretty great lengths to keep people away from that RV and to film anyone who may venture near.

Maybe a little digging wouldn't have turned up enough to do anything but then again...maybe it would have and this could have been prevented.

It seems with the bomb making dudes someone has noticed certain purchases, etc.  that point to that endeavor.  If someone starts waving a red flag it may be worth a little looking.

You had a crazy ex, I've had a crazy ex or two...I have exes who would say I was/am the crazy one.  But if someone had said I was building bombs, I'd have had a visit or two from people with badges and I doubt not answering the door would have satisfied their questions.

Actually - bomb making basically boils down to a chemistry education + willingness to work × degree of batshit crazyness......

If you have the knowledge - the time - and the drive to do it - you can build a DIY bomb without buying anything at all that would put you on any kind of watch list.

Fortunately - most of the nutters tend towards the lazy side - and try to buy certain things that do make LEO types take note.....