A public oversight hearing on DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier’s controversial neighborhood police checkpoint program draws anger from many on the council who say they won't work and they're unconstitutional. Lanier says the first trial run of her Neighborhood Safety Zones Initiative, in the city’s Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast , DID deter crime and people’s rights were NOT violated. The weekend of May 30th the area saw 3 homicides, the following weekend the checkpoints were set up and there were no murders. Councilmember Marion Barry thinks the plan is a short term solution and the government needs to address the real problem...why people committ the crimes in the first place. Some Trinidad residents did testify in favor of the checkpoints saying they think they are necessary to stop crime.
Lanier has recently said that if violence does return, so will the checkpoints. And, Lanier has the backing of Interim Attorney General Peter Nickles and the US Attorney’s office. Public comment ends on June 30.