Herald.com | 11/28/2005 | Cops unveil plan to stop terrorists
Herald.com | 11/28/2005 | Cops unveil plan to stop terrorists
Posted on Mon, Nov. 28, 2005
R E L A T E D C O N T E N T
ON THE LOOKOUT: Miami police officers Mayree Morin and Bobby Navarro with the city's new Homeland Security rapid-response emergency vehicle.
NURI VALLBONA/HERALD STAFF
ON THE LOOKOUT: Miami police officers Mayree Morin and Bobby Navarro with the city's new Homeland Security rapid-response emergency vehicle.
M O R E N E W S F R O M topix.net
• Activism
• Terrorism
MIAMI
Cops unveil plan to stop terrorists
Miami police will announce today their plans to prevent a potential terrorist attack.
BY DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@herald.com
Miami police will announce today the creation of an initiative aimed at protecting malls, business districts and other so-called ''soft targets'' from possible terrorist attacks.
Dubbed ''Miami Shield,'' the initiative calls for small groups of uniformed and plainclothes officers to patrol potential target zones at random times, hopefully thwarting terrorists who rely on routines to coordinate attacks.
''We want the terrorists to know we're out there,'' said Miami Deputy Chief Frank Fernandez.
The program also calls for a healthy dose of community relations, teaching business people to spot would-be terrorists and balancing what often can be perceived as heavy-handed police tactics.
''The idea is to strike a good medium, so people feel comfortable,'' said Officer Bobby Navarro, the department's specialist on weapons of mass destruction.
The department will outline the program at a news conference today. Here's how they envision it working: A small group of police officers, perhaps as many as five, will patrol potential ''soft targets'' such as Bayside Marketplace, a Metrorail station or the business district along Brickell Avenue.
The term, soft target, generally refers to civilian targets. One example: the suicide bombings that struck London's public transportation system in July.
The Miami officers will talk to business owners, handing out counter-terrorism brochures and business cards with a police e-mail -- homelandsecurity@miami-police.org -- where people can report suspicious activity.
At the same time, small groups of plainclothes officers will conduct surveillance on possible targets elsewhere.
The random approach -- officers may spend five hours, or 15 minutes, at a target -- is designed to throw off terrorists who may be studying security patterns.
''If they know we're going to have policemen [on] random buses, it's a lot harder for them to feel comfortable taking devices on the buses,'' Navarro said.
The task of thwarting terrorists can be tricky for local police departments.
In New York City, the police department has been lauded for honing its anti-terrorism efforts, but it also has been criticized by civil libertarians for its techniques.
For example, after the London bombings, the New York Police Department began searching riders' bags on the city's subway system.
Critics blasted the police, saying it was intrusive and useless.
The American Civil Liberties Union, representing five subway riders, sued the department, saying the searches ran against the Constitution's safeguard against ``unreasonable searches and seizures.''
Fernandez, the deputy chief, said Miami Shield would be an effective, non-intrusive way to safeguard against terrorists.
''We don't want to do it to the point where we violate the right of freedom of movement and freedom of expression,'' Fernandez said.
Look at the last line. Doesn't that idiot realize that making people show ID when no crime has been committed is limiting freedom of movement? Doesn't he fucking know the Fourth Amendment? I hope the ACLU or some libertarian group gets this law abolished and fast.
Posted on Mon, Nov. 28, 2005
R E L A T E D C O N T E N T
ON THE LOOKOUT: Miami police officers Mayree Morin and Bobby Navarro with the city's new Homeland Security rapid-response emergency vehicle.
NURI VALLBONA/HERALD STAFF
ON THE LOOKOUT: Miami police officers Mayree Morin and Bobby Navarro with the city's new Homeland Security rapid-response emergency vehicle.
M O R E N E W S F R O M topix.net
• Activism
• Terrorism
MIAMI
Cops unveil plan to stop terrorists
Miami police will announce today their plans to prevent a potential terrorist attack.
BY DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@herald.com
Miami police will announce today the creation of an initiative aimed at protecting malls, business districts and other so-called ''soft targets'' from possible terrorist attacks.
Dubbed ''Miami Shield,'' the initiative calls for small groups of uniformed and plainclothes officers to patrol potential target zones at random times, hopefully thwarting terrorists who rely on routines to coordinate attacks.
''We want the terrorists to know we're out there,'' said Miami Deputy Chief Frank Fernandez.
The program also calls for a healthy dose of community relations, teaching business people to spot would-be terrorists and balancing what often can be perceived as heavy-handed police tactics.
''The idea is to strike a good medium, so people feel comfortable,'' said Officer Bobby Navarro, the department's specialist on weapons of mass destruction.
The department will outline the program at a news conference today. Here's how they envision it working: A small group of police officers, perhaps as many as five, will patrol potential ''soft targets'' such as Bayside Marketplace, a Metrorail station or the business district along Brickell Avenue.
The term, soft target, generally refers to civilian targets. One example: the suicide bombings that struck London's public transportation system in July.
The Miami officers will talk to business owners, handing out counter-terrorism brochures and business cards with a police e-mail -- homelandsecurity@miami-police.org -- where people can report suspicious activity.
At the same time, small groups of plainclothes officers will conduct surveillance on possible targets elsewhere.
The random approach -- officers may spend five hours, or 15 minutes, at a target -- is designed to throw off terrorists who may be studying security patterns.
''If they know we're going to have policemen [on] random buses, it's a lot harder for them to feel comfortable taking devices on the buses,'' Navarro said.
The task of thwarting terrorists can be tricky for local police departments.
In New York City, the police department has been lauded for honing its anti-terrorism efforts, but it also has been criticized by civil libertarians for its techniques.
For example, after the London bombings, the New York Police Department began searching riders' bags on the city's subway system.
Critics blasted the police, saying it was intrusive and useless.
The American Civil Liberties Union, representing five subway riders, sued the department, saying the searches ran against the Constitution's safeguard against ``unreasonable searches and seizures.''
Fernandez, the deputy chief, said Miami Shield would be an effective, non-intrusive way to safeguard against terrorists.
''We don't want to do it to the point where we violate the right of freedom of movement and freedom of expression,'' Fernandez said.
Look at the last line. Doesn't that idiot realize that making people show ID when no crime has been committed is limiting freedom of movement? Doesn't he fucking know the Fourth Amendment? I hope the ACLU or some libertarian group gets this law abolished and fast.
posted by ShadowHawk at 9:34 PM
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