'Random' searches of passengers on Metrolink

Random searches of passengers and their belongings will begin next week on Metrolink commuter trains, the agency announced Thursday. Passengers got the news via a flier left on train seats.

Sheriff's deputies will be setting up random screening stations at random times. "Access to the station platform will be restricted; passengers must pass through the checkpoint to gain access to the station platform," stated the flier.

The release goes on to say that some passengers will be selected from those lines and have their baggage searched. Anyone who refuses to be searched won't be allowed to get on the train. Deputies are looking for "explosives" or other "dangerous items."

Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell told me this morning that the searches are not in response to any threats that have been made against trains.

"It's more in response to what has become standard procedure at other commuter rail agencies across the country," she said. "We were one of the few who wasn't doing this, and we thought it would be a good idea to step up the security a little bit."

She said police are primarily looking for explosives, but won't turn a blind eye to other issues. "They are police officers," Tyrrell added. "If you have a half a pound of hash in your book bag, they are going to arrest you. I would suggest if that's the case you are one of the people that wants to walk away."

One reader already e-mailed me with a salient question: If the searches are random and skip from station to station, then couldn't a terrorist with a bomb simply get on the train at a station where random searches aren't being done?

Tyrrell said that there will also be more security officers on trains. "We have 55 stations so we can't be at every station" with a random search, she said. "What we're trying to do is make it uncomfortable for someone to harm our passengers by having a greater level of security."

As for the meaning of "dangerous items," Tyrrell said that means guns or items that are obvious threats -- large amounts of toxic materials, for example.

--Steve Hymon

A question for Bottleneckers: How do you feel about this? Is it a good idea? Leave a comment below.

Comments

[Jack Frost]

I witnessed these unconstitutional searches at the station I go to every day.
They actually went through the clothes and underwear of what looked like an 11 year old boy who arrived after me.

Check my blog for my account of what happened when I started taking pictures...

http://temsi.blogspot.com

The dumb thing is, if you're a terrorist, and you drive to the station, and you see the screening, all you have to do is keep driving and go to the next station a few miles down the road. You'll still accomplish your goal...

So at the end of the day, this practice ONLY serves to annoy and harass law-abiding citizens like me - who need to use this tax payer funded service to get to work in the morning.

[John]

I've been to the USA before and enjoyed my visit, but the Homeland Security stuff puts me off coming again. Most countries in the world have had problems with terrorism, and met them without resorting to such paranoia.

Britain is going the same way; many instances of amateur photographers being harassed by so-called security jobsworths. The Brits (now passing 42 days detention without trial legislation) don't have the spirit to stand up to this nonsense. I hope the good people of Los Angeles do.

[Alan V Bickley]

Warrantless wiretaps, warrantless house breakins, now warrantless searches. . .where will it end?
AMTRAK will be next and then the buses. Governments are depriving citizens of their inherent right to use public facilities for which they have paid and will continue to pay either in taxes directly to the transportation agency or to the bondholders.
The respondent who proposed a general boycott is right. Dry up their revenues, shut them down.

[phobia]

The greatest conglomerate of a government agencies created by Bush "Department of Homeland Security" seems to pride itself on fear at the expense of wasting tax payers money. It was a nice gesture of leaving a flyer regarding a change in policy, but at least have a meeting to listen to commuters concerns? Another example of what Bush meant by "compassionate conservatism" functioning at it higest level when Katrina and Wilma hit or a preemptive strike on the public in case of domestic terrorism? Clearly, this is a sign America is still functioning under the guidelines of The Constitution. Finally, consider the recent news stories regarding martial law training in other metropolitan cities. When a democracy--especially it's elected officials at the local, state and National level all pride themselves with security being of the utmost importance--all are indirectly taking part in creating a police state. That reminds didn't Bush repeal Habeus Corpus, taking away a vast majority of the Bill of Rights.

PS. on a public computer and my name isn't Johnthan

[Kate Mucci]

This is a very disturbing trend, and it's good to see how many bloggers are aware that this is illegal and unconstitutional.

How long are people going to put up with this? It is like Nazi Germany, but much worse. Why? Because the technology is much more invasive now.

What happens when they find a Ron Paul sticker or a David Icke book in someone's backpack? They'll probably check out everything in his PDA or cell phone and see who he calls, who's in his address book, what websites he visits - the list goes on and on.

People - DON'T PLAY THEIR GAME. If everyone just said, "No, I'm not going to ride the train until you stop this nonsense", the money would talk.

I said this when they started taking water bottles away from people on planes, and making mothers drink their babies' bottled milk. If everyone would have said "No, I'm not going to fly", right then and there, that would have been the end of it. But oh, no, they continued to get on the cattle cars labelled "planes" and now they're being subjected to new technology that takes pictures through their clothes. Will this be next on the trains?

Now is the time for some serious action, people. Strike. The people that will be checking packages will be armed with Tazers, and they will use them. Let Metro pay them with their Homeland Security dollars, but let them stand around with their thumbs up their you-know-whats, because everybody stays away.

[Richard Michael]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/06/random-searches.html
http://www.metrolinktrainriders.com/MTR/?T=80613-bottleneck
metrolinktrainriders+blogcomment@gmail.com

Metrolink doesn't believe the United States Constitution applies to it. Witness its failed attempt last month suppress free speech (See LA Weekly article on May 23, 2008) on the Internet. This month it takes a crack at the Fourth Amendment.

Public transit agencies have been whining for years about funding cuts from the state. Then these geniuses come up with a worthless plan like this on which to waste taxpayer money.

Of course, its just shifting money from one county pocket to another in an "arms-length" (yeah, right), no bid contract with the sheriff's department.

Is this the best that Lee Baca can come up with? What experience does the county sheriff have with terrorism prevention. Oh, yeah, he probably attended a conference at some swanky resort or took a course on it.

Baca can't even solve the jail problem, except by threatening to release all the criminals when he gets wind of a budget cut.

So, this is just the county supervisors taking Proposition 1B money from the state and scratching Baca's back with an easy few million for doing nothing.

It's just a three-card Monte con on the taxpayer.

Meanwhile Metrolink continues to crash and kill people (See PasadenaStarNews article on June 12, 2008) at grade crossings because the engineers can't see what's going on a few hundred yards ahead of the train.

Any terrorist with half a brain could figure out that, unlike an airplane, you don't need to get on a train to destroy one. There are miles and miles of unattended tracks where you can cause some real terror. That idiot in Glendale caused the worst commuter train crash in history and he was just trying to kill himself.

This is what you get when you have money and power hungry politicians running public transit.

[Fight the Right wingers.]

This is outrageous!!! This is illegal. Unconstitutional! There is NO PROBABLE cause! This is probably about harassing latinos for immigration status, hopefully finding some kids with drugs, and treating everyone as if they are criminals just because they have to take the train to work. If this train was servicing only the rich areas of LA and had only white well to do riders I doubt these searches would be occurring. I hope the ACLU challenges this in court.

[John Burns]

The U.S. is becoming more like Nazi Germany 1932, all in the name of supposed or suspected Terrorists.

It's not enough we receive traffic tickets by police, we now must endure being searched on our way to and from work. Will we be wearing Stars and emblems next?

These searches will likely be people who fit a predetermined profile.

The whole idea shows just how our rights have been lost to these mad man ideas that we are not safe and must be protected by who ever and " We The People" pay for it.

The nine million is nothing to the nine billion a month these wars cost us.

[Robert Arkow]

It wasn't hard to figure out what is happening here-It is on Metrolink's web site.

Metrolink Receives $9 Milllion State Homeland Security Grant
05/02/2008

Los Angeles, CA, May 2, 2008

California Homeland Security Director Matthew Bettenhausen handed over a $9 million dollar check to Metrolink today at the Glendale Metrolink Station for the purpose of enhancing safety and security. The funds come from voter- approved Prop 1B, a measure which Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger strongly advocated to improve infrastructure, security, and public safety.

“From day one I have said that public safety is my number one priority. That is why I championed Proposition 1B and added security funds to the measure for port and transportation security,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “We must continue our efforts to upgrade the state’s security infrastructure to protect lives and the economy of California.”

One billion of the nearly 20 billion dollars approved will be allocated to enhance security and safety in the ports and mass transit systems. California voters approved Proposition 1B in November of 2006, which enacted the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006. California’s ports handle nearly half of the nation’s containerized goods.

“Four different security projects are now online at Metrolink as a result of this grant,” stated Metrolink Board Member and Glendale City Councilmember, Ara Najarian. “We thank the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security for recognizing the essential role that rail plays in our region and for helping us to safeguard this incredible asset for future generations of Californians.”

Under the 2007/2008 current year budget, Proposition 1B allocates a total of $15 million dollars to the four (4) intra city rail systems in California.

Caltrans Div. San Joaquin Corridor $2,263,930
Caltrans Pacific Surfliner Corridor $1,800,000
Capitol Corridor JPA $1,900,000
Metrolink $9,036,070

It would be nice if the money was intelligently spent.

[Karl in Burbank]

Not in response to any kind of threat?

What about the armed robberies and assaults taking place with regularity on the Antelope Valley line? They dont call Train 223 the "Felony Flyer" for nothing!

[Robert Arkow]

I can see the signs now……

Attention Terrorists:
Random searches will be occurring at this station today.
Please choose another Metrolink station to board your train.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

In the words of the great television star, Homer Simpson: “DOH!”

While I support anti-terrorism measures on Metrolink, I suspect that they did not think this issue thoroughly.

[Robert Arkow]

“Dangerous items....?”

To Metrolink, patrons who think and ask questions are “dangerous items.”

Metrolink wasted thousands of your tax dollars in an attempt to take away my web site name. They failed to convince a judge that I obtained the web name in “bad faith.” They lost.

Obviously they don’t like public comments that are negative about Metrolink.

But they seem to have lots of bucks to spend, especially with the pending fare increase.

Sounds like more overtime (and tax dollars wasted) by our Sheriff''s Department.

That's too bad, because the LASD usually gets high marks in my book. I hope that this is just an anomaly and not the sign of future things to come.

Perhaps Metrolink needs an Inspector General (like the MTA has) as a check and balance to rein in wasteful spending. A “Metrolink Riders Union” might be a good idea as well.

Bob Arkow
www.metrolinkrider.com

[RE]

Metrolink is claiming this won't affect peoples' commute schedules because the screening process will take "less than a minute."

Oops! Looks like they forgot how to add!

[Adam Rakunas]

On the one hand, I don't take Metrolink, so this won't affect me one bit.

On the other, are you kiddng? Random searches for explosives? This would have made sense right after the Madrid and London bombings, but this far after the fact stinks of someone in the LASD getting their hands on a grant from DHS that requires this asinine security theater.