July 26, 2005

New York City Expands Random Searches

Hundreds of suburban New York City commuters, from central New Jersey to Rockland County, N.Y., were asked for the first time yesterday to submit their bags for inspection by the police, as two major transit carriers in the region joined New York City authorities trying to buffer their train, subway and bus systems against a terror attack. New Jersey Transit's police officers conducted more than 1,100 searches at commuter rail stations in Trenton and Secaucus and a light-rail station in Hoboken, among other transit hubs. The expansion of searches occurred against a backdrop of anxiety in New York City, where the police continued to conduct widespread bag inspections in the subways under a policy authorized by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg last week.

More Travelers Face Searches on Way to City, New York Times, July 26, 2005.