Mount Vernon, NY: Criminals, come on down. We’re almost all unar
Police checkpoint seeks illegal guns
MOUNT VERNON – Drivers entering the city from the Bronx via First Avenue last night encountered the first police checkpoint searching for illegal guns.
Amid flashing lights and flares in the roadway, more than a dozen officers were pulling over every third car to ask for permission to search for guns and check for other crimes such as drunken driving.
Within minutes of the checkpoint’s opening shortly after 9 p.m., the first arrest was made when a driver failed a field sobriety test.
“The officer did a field sobriety test and smelled some marijuana on him. He refused to do more sobriety checks. We’ll bring him to our headquarters and he’ll do a urine test there. So, it’s already working,” said Sgt. Brian Hess of the Westchester County police.
But the goal for the night was to find guns and stop them from coming into Mount Vernon, a city that’s already had seven homicides this year.
Mayor Clinton Young said the “bold initiative” sends a strong message to the public that something is being done to stop gun violence.
“We’re also sending a very strong and clear message to criminals: Don’t come to Mount Vernon for criminal activity. Period,” he said.</em>
No, actually you’re telling criminals that your citizens are unarmed sheep, unable to defend themselves. And since police are not expected, nor required, to protect the public, disarming law abiding citizens is criminal. The article doesn’t state what the cops do if they find a gun that a person has a permit for (extremely difficult to get in New York), but one can imagine it isn’t pleasant.
Pathetic.
