Friday Question of the Day

Not the most original question but I thought for sure we need to discuss it. A couple of days ago the Examiner reported that: “D.C. police will seal off entire neighborhoods, set up checkpoints and kick out strangers under a new program that D.C. officials hope will help them rescue the city from its out-of-control violence.” So everyone and their sister has been talking about this but I’m still interested in the Green Line perspective. For we have faced our share of crime and have often cried out, understandably, for solutions. Today we learned from the Post that “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.” So the question is very simple: Is this insane? Or do the police need to do whatever they need to do to curtail violence? As my good friend Pearlman always says – I’m not sure this passes the sniff test… But do radical times not call for radical solutions? If there were 5 shootings over the weekend on Kenyon Street would you not want a “checkpoint”? Anyway, insane or not? If like I suspect many people do think this is insane what is an alternative for MPD?