If the Police Department were to stop searching the contents of subway riders' bags, that would be a substantial step toward curbing the privacy violations that have concerned us,

This is the future in New York City as far as the police department is concerned. They now believe that in the name of terrorism they can search anyone without suspicion.

It is simply difficult to understand that anyone could believe that sophisticated terrorists trying to attack the subway system are going to be deterred. The only people being searched are innocent New Yorkers.

Our position is that the police should aggressively investigate anyone whom they suspect of bringing explosives into the system, ... But police searches of subway riders without any suspicions are presumptively unconstitutional.

We are concerned that false police statements may have tainted hundreds of cases of people arrested at the two largest mass arrests during the convention.

We know that in the past the police department has reached out to us, and in the same way we feel we can reach out to them.