Sealing Off the Rough Parts of Town? Papers Please?

We’ve all seen the news reports lately indicating a rise in violence in the District, with murders up year-over-year, but is it really necessary to start to setup soviet travel checkpoints inside DC? Chief Lanier says yes. In fact, she’s advocating that certain neighborhoods have cordons set up around them, with police controls on who enters and exits the neighborhood. Residents, and those wishing to enter the neighborhood, will have to display ID and a reason to be in the area, or be subject to being turned away, or arrested. Each “Neighborhood Safety Zone” will last for up to 10 days.

Wait. Really? Have we reached a point where we have to put up police checkpoints all over DC in order to feel safe? Needless to say the DC ACLU is on high alert and was seen in the corner mumbling something like “what could they possibly be thinking?”

I know that in situations like this it’s not exactly polite to mock a proposal so clearly, but do you really think that just six officers will be able to create an effective neighborhood-wide cordon?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.

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