DC Delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton has been on a crusade to stop the Capitol Police barriers and checkpoints that surround the U.S. Capitol since they appeared last August. The checkpoints, that have been blamed for traffic congestion on and around Capitol Hill, were implemented by the US Capitol Police to screen for potential car bombers.
The way the system works, cars pass by armed Police Officers who perform a cursory exterior search of all vehicles. Vehicles that have large areas that are not visible from the exterior receive a more detailed search e.g. opening the trunk or a sliding door in a van. The idea is not to stop small explosives that could fit in a backpack, but to stop large scale explosives that could fill the trunk area and back seat of a vehicle. Tinted windows are as effective as metal at hiding the contents of a vehicle. In a van, SUV, or full size sedan, the amount of possible material hidden could be considerable from an ordinance perspective.
Believing the checkpoints worthless against a terrorist attack and worried about the inconvenience for tourists and DC drivers, Norton said:
"It's like a red light saying stay away"
You got it right, Congresswoman. That's the point.
ABC 7 News - Barricades Return on Capitol Hill:
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