Measure cracks down on warrants

It would be harder for police to search a home without knocking in Georgia under a measure approved by a Senate panel. The bill stems from the death of an elderly Atlanta woman mistakenly killed by police who stormed her home unannounced. The changes approved yesterday require police officers to meet a stiffer standard to get so-called no-knock warrants. "No knock warrants" are intended to prevent suspects from getting rid of evidence and to protect officers from potentially violent suspects.