infobong.com

Yikes, New York police will begin random searches of bags on subways, busses, and commuter trains. This seems like a substantial curtailing of civil liberites, since, once searches are in place, police won't simply be looking for explosives. Fortunately, the article notes "officials said they would take pains to avoid racial and ethnic profiling."

The article notes that New York is the first city to be taking these steps. London, which has been the target of recent bomb attacks, does not systematically search bags, so these steps seem more as attempt to give law enforcement more power, rather than avert attacks in the city.

New York police commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said at the announcement, "It's a safety issue. People don't consider any measures that you take for safety to be an inconvenience. This is New York City." I suspect that Kelly maybe not be describing the attitudes of New Yorkers accurately, but it's interesting how he invokes civic pride to suggest that ideal New Yorkers acquiesce to random searches. It seems like a quasi-nationalism, asking people to be loyal to the city.