Bloomberg: No Fair Profiling Terrorists

NewsMax ^ | 7/22/05 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday that terrorists come "in all sizes and shapes and forms" and it wouldn't be fair for police to profile terrorism suspects on the basis of a Middle Eastern appearance.

Asked about the city's random stop and search policy, which Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Thursday would forbid racial profiling, Bloomberg told WABC Radio host John Gambling: "I think if we've learned anything, it is, you can't predict what a terrorist looks like."

"You want to have restrictions [on police terrorism searches]," Bloomberg explained. "You want to have the police to have the burden of being very careful and never discriminating."

"If you think that everybody with blue eyes is a terrorist, you can't just stop everybody with blue eyes," he added. "Terrorists come in all sizes and shapes and forms."

When Gambling reminded that "a higher percentage of them come from a certain section of the world," Bloomberg acknowledged: "That is true."

"But John," the mayor shot back, "the essence of our freedom is that you are presumed innocent - you're innocent until proven guilty. The presumption of innocence is the fundamental [value] of our society. And you just can't go and say everybody who has blue eyes - my example - is a terrorist just because most terrorists that you've caught have blue eyes."

Bloomberg acknowledged that his profiling ban would make it easier for terrorists to succeed in their next attack, but still insisted the practice was "unreasonable."

"It is just not a reasonable, not a rational - nothing that we want in our society," he maintained. "That does make it more difficult for the police - yes. But it's been more difficult for 235 years and we've kept the democracy and that's the challenge that we have to meet."

Wrapping up on the topic, Bloomberg caught himself profiling terrorists by sex - then quickly amended his comments, telling WABC:

"If you had no restrictions [on police searches]; number one, you'd give up all our freedoms; and number two, I don't know that you'd necessarily do any better at catching the bad guys - or that they are guys."

[dmartin]

Ray Kelly? Didn't this jerk work for Dinkins?

I am sure Ms. Kelly doesn't want to leave a stone unturned in his hunt for terrorists. He will not be on hand for a single bag search because he knows fully well as do all the cops on the job that the minute a bomber gets stopped you have a very good chance that he will pull the cord.

[Sonny M]

Ray Kelly? Didn't this jerk work for Dinkins?

yep, he also was no fan of Rudy or Bratton.

I actually did meet him once and talked to him for a few minuits, nice guy, former marine (he told me David Dinkins and John Corzine are also former marines), but overall, he is arrogant, elitist, and a shmuck.

He also is not anywhere near being the guy to trust on terrorism, as much as he thinks of himself as some kind of expert.

[Arm_Bears]

Bloomberg spouts this tripe, knowing that if a successful attack does occur he can blame it all on Bush.

[the invisib1e hand]

all sizes, all shapes, all colors....

sort like a rhetorical rainbow. all inclusive, all embracing, warm and fuzzy, terrorism is having to become an equal-opportunity recruiter in order to survive. they probably give special consideration to gay ones, who Islam would encourage to have blow themselves up.

gag-me-alert.

[danamco]

Bloomberg told WABC Radio host John Gambling: "I think if we've learned anything, it is, you can't predict what a terrorist looks like."

Clearly, some people haven't.

Gulliani need to come back to N.Y.!!! Is gore-Lick's wall still in place???