New Yorkers support random bag searches says poll

NEW YORK - New Yorkers support random searches of their bags while riding public transportation by a margin of three to one despite objections from civil liberties groups to such measures, a poll showed.

Two out of three Republicans polled also would allow their basic civil liberties to be violated if it enhanced security, said the survey by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute of registered voters in New York City.

New York authorities began randomly searching bags of subway and bus passengers late July in the aftermath of a second set of London bombings. The practice was later extended to airport trains and suburban commuter lines.

The subway searches prompted criticism from the New York Civil Liberties Union that it could invite the targeting of certain people for racial, ethnic or religious reasons.

The NYCLU could not be immediately reached for comment.

Earlier this month, the group sued the city seeking an injunction to stop the searches on the grounds that they violate the US Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches without probable cause.

"Do you want to insist upon every right you are guaranteed, or do you want to get blown up," said Quinnipiac's director of polling, Maurice Carroll. "A certain number say (searches) don't make that much of a difference and please don't blow me up."

The 9/11 attacks, when hijacked planes were flown into the World Trade Centre towers killing nearly 2800 in New York, likely influenced people's decision to support the random bag searches in favour of increased security, Carroll added.

By a 72 per cent to 25 per cent margin, New York voters support the policy of random bag searches of subway and bus riders, the poll found.

New York voters, by a majority of 55 per cent to 38 per cent, do not support government actions that would infringe on their basic rights. But Republicans said, by a margin of 60 per cent to 35 per cent, they would accept security actions that would violate their rights.

Over time, the support for random searches will likely wane, said Professor Karen Greenberg of the Centre on Law and Security at New York University School of Law.

As New Yorkers move further away in time from the events of September 11, 2001, and the July 7 attacks in London, "people will not feel as threatened," Greenberg said, adding New Yorkers' fear of everyday activities after 9/11, such as travelling to Lower Manhattan and riding subways, has receded.

As fear dissipates, New Yorkers will see less justification to have their bags searched randomly, she said.

Quinnipiac University surveyed 1601 New York voters from August 9 to August 15 for its poll with a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

- REUTERS