Give it back

Re “A hand on the contraband,” Feb. 20

The article (and picture) on weapons confiscated at L.A. County courthouses raised more questions than they answered.

Does the court system consider markers to be weapons? There appear to be numerous laundry markers and dry erase pens in the pile shown in the photo. There are also tape measures.

Are tape measures weapons? If so, I’m going to be more careful the next time I let a carpenter in my house. If courthouse officials are worried that tape measures could be used to strangle someone, they should confiscate every belt too.

The courthouse rules are too strict, and citizens don’t know the rules until security turns them away.

Courthouses need a system to hold items rather than confiscating them.

Michael Freed

Rancho Cascades

--

The article states that 21 million people have been screened -- probably at considerable cost to taxpayers -- and that only 11 lethal weapons were found.

This is a waste of scarce money -- it’s not “literally life and death for anybody who works or does business in courthouses.” We need those cops on the street arresting criminals, not just getting in our way and stealing harmless things from us.

For the great majority of cases, this added “security” makes us worse off.

David Argall

La Puente