NYC Transit Riders Get Searched

Random Checks On Buses, Ferries, Trains, But Especially Subways

(CBS/AP)  Gilbert Hernandez, 34, was arrested during Thursday evening's rush hour at the Brentwood Long Island Rail Road station, where the police presence had been beefed up.

Suffolk County police, who stopped the driver after noticing something suspicious about his van, allegedly found a machete, imitation handguns, an electronic stun gun and chukka sticks in the vehicle. They said Hernandez had been convicted of possessing a pipe bomb in 1996.

Officers, some with bomb-sniffing dogs, are stopping people carrying bags as they enter subways, buses and ferries. Anyone who refuses a search won't be allowed to ride. Those caught carrying drugs or other contraband could be arrested.

"What's to stop them from moving to another subway stop?" Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm asked Kelly.

"Practically nothing. They can go to another stop. But they may be stopped at the next station as well," Kelly replied.

Police officials said they had considered instituting bag searches for three years. The emerging pattern of attacks on transit targets in London forced their hand, said Paul Browne, the New York Police Department's chief spokesman.

On Thursday evening, a cluster of officers was seen stopping five men over a 15-minute period as they entered the subway in Union Square. In each instance, the officers peered briefly into their bags, then waved them through.

"If it serves a purpose, I'm OK with it," said one of the men, James Washington, 45.

Officials declined to specify where and how frequently the checks would occur or how long they would last. The NYPD had already doubled the number of officers who patrol the subway after the initial attack in London on July 7, at a cost of $2 million a week in overtime.