June. 4, 2008
WASHINGTON - D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced Wednesday that police will have the authority to set up safety checkpoints in neighborhoods where violent crime is considered a significant problem. In addition to the Neighborhood Safety Zones initiative, Fenty and Lanier announced that four more neighborhoods will be included in the Focused Improvement Area initiative.
"The residents of the District of Columbia depend on their government to keep the city where they live, work and play safe," Fenty said. "These initiatives allow us to deploy tools we already have available in a targeted way to have the greatest impact."
Safety zones will be established when a district commander presents evidence like intelligence, violent crime data and police reports that shows a trend of violent crime in a neighborhood. Once approved by Lanier, the safety zones will be effective for a maximum of 10 days.
Public safety checks will be established along main thoroughfares. People driving into the neighborhoods could be asked to show proof of residence in the neighborhood or explain why they are entering the neighborhood. Pedestrians will not be subject to the checks.
"The Neighborhood Safety Zones is just another tool MPD will employ to stop crime before it happens," Lanier said. "The Neighborhood Safety Zone initiative will help residents terrorized by violent crime to take back their neighborhoods."
Such initiatives have been accepted by federal courts as legitimate and constitutional law enforcement practices.
The first safety zone will be established in the Trinidad neighborhood next week.
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People driving into the neighborhoods could be asked to show proof of residence in the neighborhood or explain why they are entering the neighborhood."
Welcome to the police state, this will be coming to a neighborhood near you just wait. Now if you want to take a ride around the City of DC you can run in to a road block where the police interrogate you demand your papers and want a itinerary of where you are going who you are meeting with. Isn't this what used to happen in the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany? Oh yea I can hear the nationalists saying that will never happen here this is the USA the "Land of the Free". I guess that phrase needs to change this is now the "Land of the free if you submit like a beaten dog". Isn't the checkpoints what is happening in Iraq?
THANK YOU GEORGE HITLER BUSH
you can't handle the truth !
You can't handle reality!
Who do you think they are trying to protect from?
Posted by Nalod:
You can't handle reality!
Who do you think they are trying to protect from?
But Nalod, doesn't something have to be said about the procedure they will follow at these checkpoints? They are going to ask for proof of residence? Isn't that a presumption of guilt? You are basically asking the people to prove their innocence but I thought you are presumed to be innocent. This kind of stuff reminds me of 1984. It might seem minor now and they are doing in the name of safety but that's trading privacy for safety. We shouldn't give up any privacy to any government.
Like the great Ben Franklin said: "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither."
What is the environment of these neighborhoods? Why is the crime rate, what is the drug activity? what is the incedents of drive by shooting? Why those neighborhoods and not others? Why just in DC?
"The Neighborhood Safety Zone initiative will help residents terrorized by violent crime to take back their neighborhoods."
Before we get all bent out of shape about 4 neighborhoods getting checkpointed from time to time and extropolationg this into a national policy can we find out why?
