Letting the terrorists win

Every tragic event must be met with an equally appalling assault on the civil liberties and basic values of our open society.  It's such a matter of course now that it's almost become boring.  But since Sidney kinda sorta thinks he might want to be the next mayor, we might as well make note of where his inclinations lie.

Torres, a vocal critic of Mayor Mitch Landrieu's approach to public safety in the city's prime tourism district, said he has sketched out a plan to set up nearly two dozen security checkpoints on streets leading into the Quarter for special events.

There, he said, private security would wave metal-detecting wands across incoming revelers, checking for guns and running the information on those who carry them through a database of licensed guns and permitted gun owners.

"This is an idea that I came up with within an hour," Torres said. "When you have national news out there that's showing one dead, somebody blazing guns in the middle of a crowded promenade, I think it's important for someone to call for action."

It only took him an hour to come up with that.  Except, not really.  He's actually been thinking about this for a while. He's even got a specific model in mind. 

Torres, creator of the French Quarter Task Force patrol and crime-reporting application for mobile devices, called for restricted access to Bourbon Street between Canal and St. Ann streets between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. during special events or special times of the year. Staffed security checkpoints with metal detectors and cameras would be erected at every entrance point along that eight-block stretch, Torres said.

Security personnel would check every visitor for guns. Verification would be needed before those licensed to carry firearms would be allowed to bring their weapons onto the street, Torres said.

Torres said a similar program is instituted in Memphis' famed Beale Street, one where visitors are charged a fee during some special events.

The "entrepreneur" (Sidney inherited his money and has spent his life leveraging that status into more and more money and political/social influence but ok) who weaseled his way into the semi-privatized police business now wants to be allowed to charge you a fee to walk down a street.  All it will take is an initial equipment investment and someone is bound to help him public-private partner his way into a nice cut of whatever that generates.

Or maybe he can just run for mayor and grant himself the contract.  It's Trump's America now. Nobody takes the rules about these things seriously anymore.