This initiative by the D.C. police department is similar to tactics used by nations constantly criticized by the U.S. as police states. Controlling the flow of traffic in and out of a neighborhood and gathering information on individuals traveling in an out of Trinidad is an infringement of rights. Johnny Barnes, the executive director of D.C.'s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is quoted in the article as saying "[D.C. law enforcement] seem so willing to cast aside cherished constitutional rights for quick fixes and lazy law enforcement."When D.C. police begin stopping cars at a "checkpoint" this weekend in the Trinidad neighborhood, they will record all license plate numbers, verify residents' addresses and ask others for phone numbers of those they are visiting, according to a directive issued by Chief Cathy L. Lanier.
Lanier, who has been working on the "neighborhood safety zone" program for two months, said the checkpoints can expand to any neighborhood in response to violent crime. Police said it is a tool they plan to use to increase visibility, make arrests and gather intelligence.
A small checkpoint here can easily expand to several there. This is troublesome news for the city because it is trying to quarantine and hold hostage an entire neighborhood in response to the crime wave that has hit the city. Instead of tackling the real issue, illegal guns and automatic weapons, the police department is going to divert the problem to another neighborhood. Trinidad is not the only neighborhood vulnerable to crime. Criminals and gang members will continue their activities in other parts of the city. D.C. citizens should call their city council and file formal complaints. If we do not speak up now, tomorrow other checkpoints will be put into place. Before we know it, D.C. will become a police state.
Stay tuned for more updates...
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