Metro begins random bag searches | Washington Examiner: "Metro kicked off tighter security controls Tuesday, beginning randomized searches of riders' bags at two stations during the morning commute.
The first screenings, typically running well under a minute each, lasted for an hour at the Green Line's College Park station and Braddock Road stop on the Yellow/Blue lines in Alexandria.
No explosives were found, and no terrorist suspects were arrested, according to spokeswoman Cathy Asato. 'It went off as intended,' she said.
Metro started the searches five days after announcing the new policy -- and the same day a defective bomb was found in Rome's subway. But Metro officials said the timing was merely coincidental. They also have denied any connection to the recent arrests of two men accused of threatening Metro.
It is not clear when, where or how often more searches will occur as the transit agency does not plan to announce them. Metro officials had alerted media about Tuesday's screenings in advance on the condition the information not be published until they began.
Opposition to them is mounting. The local branches of the American Civil Liberties Union are questioning their constitutionality. The D.C. Bill of Rights Coalition and the Montgomery County Civil Rights Coalition posted an online petition, saying the searches attack riders' civil liberties. And Metro's Riders' Advisory Council, which opposed such searches two years ago, plans to host a Jan. 3 public forum.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
No comments:
Post a Comment