WAR: NYC Police Will Randomly Search Bags on Mass Transit

Partly in response to the latest terrorist bombings in the United Kingdom, New York City Mayor Bloomberg announced New York City and Metropolitan Transportation Authority police will begin randomly searching the bags of riders on the city's subway, bus and commuter rail lines. Security has been stepped up on NYC mass transit lines after 9/11 and the London bombings, but this is the first indications that random searches will be conducted on the city's commuters. The MTA provides transportation to over 7.7 million customers on the average weekday.



This is an interesting development. I think it's an unfortunate neccessity now given the times we live in, but I wonder how effective it will be. There may also be serious Constitutional issues with this policy, and it could be easily overturned by the Federal courts in the review process.

Related News Links:
www.mta.info

[edit on 7/21/2005 by djohnsto77]

This is unconstitutional.

Unwarranted searches are going to fix the problem of the terrorists who want to take our freedom away?

I'm sorry, but the logic failed to impress me 4 years ago, and it fails to impress me now.

I won't spend a single dollar in NY, I won't visit friends, I won't do business with NY merchants as I have been doing for the past decade. Why? Because the way the city conducts business these days is offensive. Between the RNC and this, I'm inclined to stay as far away from NY as possible.

And I was born there, I have fond memories of time spent there. But this is too much. We all knew it was coming too, right?

I hate to say this, but given the fact that i had a nutcase on the train from Arizona to Massachusetts who carried a gun and intended to kill himself and take along a few others with him and made the trip a horrible ordeal, i'd say this is probably not a bad thing. I never thought i 'd be in agreement to something invading your privacy this way but..its a different world, i guess. I dont think it should be random- It should be everyone..Just arrive 3 hours prior to departure.

The next issue to occur after these "random" searches begin will be the claims of racial profiling. This could be a huge can of worms that Bloomberg has just uncapped. The legal aspect of unwarranted searches and not to mention the obvious targeting of individuals of various races and religions will undoubtly become a major issue soon.

Can't say I am surprised. One by one they will all be taken away.

Bloomberg operates with the same impunity that Giuliani used to.

He's untouchable, despite the fact that he's been spending exhorbitant amounts of money to arrest and incarcerate pot-heads (while in the midst of a budget crisis), conspired to destroy evidence from 9/11, and treats homeless people like pests that need to be forced into the sewers, so the decent rich folk above ground don't have to endure 13 seconds of guilt on the way to D&D or a show.

I hope this pisses other NYers off as much as it does me. It certainly seems to when I talk to folks about it.

If something else happened here in the states, I think people will eventually accept it via Scare Tactics...

For now there may be resistance...

Wouldn't it be more effective to just shrug and keep on going? If everytime someone got blown away we just say, "# that sucks" and just keep going as if nothing had happend, the terrorists would just give up and stop bombing us...

Well, on my way to work a few hours ago I took the subway, stopped through Times Square and Union Square, saw a total of one cop standing around looking bored (not counting the metro police station office in Union Square). Maybe on my way home today I'll see some more, but it doesn't look like anything's too different as yet.

Random searches aren't that big a deal, IMO, as long as they are limited to the scope for which they are performed (ie, if a cop finds a joint on you, that shouldn't be allowable evidence used to prosecute you, since it has nothing to do with terrorism). I agree with djohnsto that there may some Constitutional issues implicated here, and it will be interesting to see how long these searches last (if they start at all).

to Intel5 BTW, that's the best thing any city can do to fight terror. Don't let them get to you. Like the British said during the Blitz, "Business as usual."

-koji K.

This should not be accepted by people. It is ridiculus to think this would benifit a "fight against terror attacks".

metal detectors are acceptable things of that nature. But this goes beyond the authority the government deserves.

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
This is unconstitutional.

No it is not unconstitutional, if it were they would not be allowed to search bags at airports. Why should mass transit be exempt? I see this as a good procedure that will deter others.

Way to go Bloomberg, now lets hope every other city will follow their lead

Originally posted by shots
No it is not unconstitutional, if it were they would not be allowed to search bags at airports. Why should mass transit be exempt? I see this as a good procedure that will deter others.

Way to go Bloomberg, now lets hope every other city will follow their lead

I'm thinking LA, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. They better, this problem isn't isolated to NY.

Originally posted by intrepid

I'm thinking LA, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. They better, this problem isn't isolated to NY.

Agreed. Perhaps London and other countries might take notice of this action.

I think it should be standard practice in any city, given the current situation.

I really don't think it's unconstitutional either, riding public transport is probably more of a privilege than a right, such as riding an airplane. If it's clear you may be subject to search when riding, it should be OK.

[edit on 7/21/2005 by djohnsto77]

It's all about safety, just about everyone cares about that. If you're stupid enough to carry an illegal weapon or drugs, don't start crying about your rights. You were forwarned.

Hopefully they'll catch all those guys boarding the trains with the bloody chainsaws.....Ya know?

Originally posted by worldwatcher
The next issue to occur after these "random" searches begin will be the claims of racial profiling. This could be a huge can of worms that Bloomberg has just uncapped. The legal aspect of unwarranted searches and not to mention the obvious targeting of individuals of various races and religions will undoubtly become a major issue soon.

That is my concern with this. I can easily see random searches turning into a big problem with racism activists. As if you wont be seeing non-whites being pulled before everyone else. Public safety is important but they have to have a way to make sure racial profiling isn't going to happen.

Originally posted by shots

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
This is unconstitutional.

No it is not unconstitutional, if it were they would not be allowed to search bags at airports. Why should mass transit be exempt? I see this as a good procedure that will deter others.

Way to go Bloomberg, now lets hope every other city will follow their lead

So... These people being searched for some reason, what crime did they commit again?

Unconstitutional yes. Violation of privacy yes, right for us all.. No..

Amendment IV - Search and seizure.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

As I stated, whats the crime again??

Scare tactics.. Want to see some real kick ass police work, Download Road to Tyranny by Alex Jones. About halfway thru you will see the police at their best.

And remember boys and girls, It was Bloomburg who stated that the right to protest is a privledge not a right?

So anything this rat does is anything but constitutional.

::EDIT SPELLING AND GRAMMER::

[edit on 7/21/2005 by ThichHeaded]

I think this will die pretty quickly. Whether through the courts, or just through an impossiblly daunting task with an undermanned police force, it will fail. I have been noticing a large number of TA officers around, though.

It won't be random, it won't be effective. You have people running for trains, and no cop in their right mind would stop them to search; if they're lucky they'll just get sued. At any rate, they won't be stopping them. With such an enormous amount of people, if any searches are actually performed, they won't be random. Profiling will get used, and this law will get shot down in an instant.

Originally posted by ThichHeaded

So... These people being searched for some reason, what crime did they commit again?

Searching for possible bombs is a good enough reason for most of us, why not you?

Unconstitutional yes. Violation of privacy yes, right for us all.. No..

how can they be unconsitutional when the searches are random, and are not mandatory If you don't want to be searched you just cannot ride

Passengers carrying bags will be selected at random before they pass through turnstiles, and those who refuse to be searched won't be allowed to ride, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

[...]
Kelly stressed that officers posted at subway entrances would not engage in racial profiling, and that passengers are free to "turn around and leave."

Source

There goes your argument for violating constitutional rights right out the window.