AND KEEP THE FLAME BURNING
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794
STOP BY A BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD
Posted on 06/07/2002 5:07:04 PM PDT by Eala
State troopers have launched an aggressive campaign to boost security on Washington State Ferries by randomly searching vehicles while their owners wait to board.
The searches are ostensibly voluntary, but motorists who refuse can be denied passage by the captain of the boat.
State Patrol and ferry service officials said the heightened security reflects an increase in funding for inspections, rather than a response to a specific threat.
"It comes down to providing protection for our citizens," Washington State Patrol Capt. Glenn Cramer said yesterday.
But officials of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington immediately expressed outrage at the searches.
"It's a big, big problem," said ACLU attorney Jerry Sheehan. "This is an unconstitutional activity on the part of Washington state employees."
Sheehan said his group, which learned of the searches after being contacted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, will discuss the issue with the state Attorney General's Office and the State Patrol.
"In the state of Washington, you have a right not to be searched by the government unless the government believes that you are intending to do wrong," he said. "We simply do not allow the government to conduct fishing expeditions."
Troopers concentrated efforts at the Southworth ferry landing, west of Vashon Island, earlier in the week, ferry system spokeswoman Susan Harris said.
Yesterday, clipboard-toting troopers were at the Winslow terminal on Bainbridge Island for the morning commute. They checked every 15th vehicle, asking drivers if they had any explosives or weapons in the car. Drivers were asked to produce identification and a vehicle registration, and then to open the trunk and all other storage areas. License numbers and other information was noted on a form.
The State Patrol is not saying when or where troopers will conducting the random searches.
"If a practice becomes predictable, it can be overcome," Cramer said.
Troopers patrolled ferries and inspected some vehicles after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but did not conduct random searches. The security measures were dropped some months later because of budget constraints.
Cramer said the new level of scrutiny was made possible by a $1.8 million budget increase approved by lawmakers earlier this year. The random inspections follow a recommendation of the Washington State Ferries Security Committee, Cramer said. The committee comprises representatives from the State Patrol, the Coast Guard and state ferry system employees.
In addition to making the preboarding inspections, troopers will be more visible riding aboard ferries, Cramer said.
"The consensus was that we needed an increased presence on the vessels and the terminals," he said.
While the inspections are voluntary, the troopers still have leverage over motorists. Motorists who decline are reported to the ferry captain, who has the authority to stop them from boarding.
Yesterday, ferry Capt. Tim Koivu did just that when a man in line for the 7:50 a.m. sailing of the Wenatchee declined to let troopers look through his car at the Winslow dock.
"I think if I was sitting next to a guy in a car that wouldn't let the police officer search it, I'd be concerned what he's hiding in there," Koivu said later. "Our main concerns are just the safety of the passengers, the vessel itself and all the crew members. We have close to 2,000 passengers on here."
Koivu said he once before declined to take on a passenger who refused to be searched -- it was just after the Sept. 11 attacks.
"We do a lot of things differently than we did prior to Sept. 11," he said.
Some of those measures, he acknowledged, can be inconvenient to passengers, "But everybody's understanding that it's for the good of all concerned," he said.
State Patrol officials said the Attorney General's Office has issued an opinion saying that the searches are legal, which Sheehan said he has not yet seen.
Sheehan said the ACLU hopes to reach people who have been searched, or who have refused to be searched, adding that the fact that a refusal could result in a missed ferry ride makes it hardly voluntary.
"You have the right not to be searched as long as you don't want to travel freely in the state of Washington any longer," he said. "That's not voluntary."
But Cramer said extraordinary times call for unusual measures.
"This is a special-needs time," he said, adding that the searches "will continue as long as we're in this state of heightened awareness."
Cramer said the ferry searches are part of an overall increase in vigilance rather than a response to a specific threat, such as the recent effort by FBI agents who contacted owners of scuba diving shops in the region. The agents asking about people who might have inquired about underwater pilot or demolition training.
In late May, FBI national headquarters issued a warning that "recent information has determined that various terrorist elements have sought to develop scuba diver capability. There is a body of information showing the desire to obtain such capability."
Seattle-based FBI spokesman Ray Lauer said agents have so far contacted about 50 diving shops around the state. He declined to say what exactly agents were asking, or whether they had found any valuable leads.
The owner of one Seattle-area store said two agents stopped by her shop last Friday, asking for a list of everyone who took classes there during the last three years.
The agents also "wanted to know if anyone had been in to make large purchases of gear who had no knowledge of the gear whatsoever," said Dawn Ulrich, manager of the Lighthouse Diving Center in North Seattle.
Ulrich said the agents were particularly curious about anyone who may have paid for such gear with cash.
Having to consider these types of things about her potential scuba customers or students felt odd, Ulrich said. Before Sept. 11, she said, "we never really gave it much thought."
P-I reporter Sam Skolnik contributed to this report. P-I reporter Hector Castro can be reached at 206-448-8126 or hectorcastro@seattlepi.com
I got the following response:
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: State Partol Searches
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 14:43:23 -0700
From: "Harris-Huether, Susan" harris@WSDOT.WA.GOV
To: me----
You are welcome to bring your rifle as long as you follow the rules that you have listed in your e-mail. The WSP has not and will not search for guns per se unless there is some strange activity surrounding the weapons. Thanks for asking and happy hunting.
Susan Harris-Huether
Customer Information Manager
Washington State Ferries
206-515-3460
I suspect that the State Patrol is being a little more selective than we are being lead to believe by the Newspaper report.
I am usually called by print reporters about twice every three months for background information on electric utility stories. When I talk to them, I make a point of telling them that I usually charge for my time in explaining things, but because I believe that the "press" plays a critical role role in a democracy (as demonstrated in the 1st ammendment) in providing an "educated electorate," that I will give them my time for nothing. This usually helps set a very positive tone with the reporter.
What do I expect from our media? A lot more than they typically deliver. I have written to reporters when I thought they missed the main point of an article, I have also given them leads on stories that I feel should be told.
In this particular case, I think the reporter understood that there were significant issues to the story, but didn't do a good job of dividing them up and making sure that each was addressed. My feeling is that the ACLU issued a press release and the reporter ran with it. Which is sad. Unless the ACLU puts out another press release, or unless the State Patrol makes an announcement, I doubt that there will be any further stories from this reporter.
One of the truly sad things about "news" is that most reporters need to write a bunch of stories each day in the hopes of seeing just a couple get published. They also have to work very hard to get something on the front page. Like baseball, it is a game of statistics. The reporter needs to write enough stories so that on average they get a front page story every week or so. That is how they succeed. They often cover extremely wide beats, where they have no knowledge of the real background behind the story. They are always on deadline and don't have much time to think about past stories unless it is to learn how to do better so that story could have been a "front page above the fold" story. If you can show a reporter how they had a great topic and could have done much better with it and them give them a few ideas for another great story, they seem to listen (depending upon the size of their ego).
Subject: Are State Patrol & WS-DOT Anti-Hunting?
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2002 10:45:12 -0700 From: "Mik Mikitik"
To: me
Your e-mail with the above subject line has been referred to me for a response.
Obviously, it is impossible for an employee of one state agency to comment on the policies or procedures of another state agency. You must go directly to the source agency if you wish to have an objective answer to the question you posed in the subject line.
You also asked, "if they (WS-DOT and the State Patrol) intend to interfere with hunting seasons this year?" While I cannot comment on their respective agency's policies, I can assure you that neither employees of the WS-DOT nor the State Patrol will ever interfere with lawful hunting seasons in our state. Their employees can and will enforce pertinent laws and agency policies, none of which will affect hunting seasons or hunting season regulations promulgated by this agency. Similarly, however, our hunting seasons and rules and regulations are not going to influence the policies or practices of either WS-DOT or the State Patrol.
Your principal issue appears to be with the transport of firearms on the state ferry system. Firearms laws enacted by the State Legislature are found in RCW 9.41, and I am unaware of any specific prohibition or restriction for the ferry system. I have attempted to contact ferry system staff to determine whether any other firearm restrictions may apply, but I have not received any information or feedback as of this date.
You should have no problem transporting rifles or shotguns on the ferry system providing they are unloaded, cased, safely secured within a vehicle and not accessible to the general public. Should you transport handguns, be sure that you comply with all provisions of RCW 9.41.050, Carrying firearms.
My understanding is both yes and no. Seriously, it is complicated. Generally, you can not transport any loaded firearm. There are exceptions. The biggest has to do with concealed carry for handguns. You may carry concealed if you have a permit, are police, military on duty, etc. This state also has an interesting set of exceptions. For example if you are engaged in hunting or fishing or on your way to or from such activitiy. Similarly if you are a member of a formal firearms collectors club or organized shooting club and on your way to or from such an activity.
If you want to transport a handgun, I would suggest that you transport it unloaded.
If you have a single action pistol that has the magazine out and is locked open, the time it takes to pop a loaded magazine in and an snap the action closed (feeding the first round) with your thumb doesn't take long at all. Probably less than the time it take to stop the vehicle. If you are really into wanting to carry concealed, then you should pay the money and get your fingerprints taken and be legal.
I have provided a hot link to another post at the following:
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.