Police Get Mixed Response to Checkpoints ; Some in Trinidad Neighborhood Critical of Anti-Crime Measure

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D.C. police set up their first vehicle checkpoint in the troubled Trinidad neighborhood Saturday night, but might have been outnumbered by two dozen American Civil Liberties Union volunteers monitoring police and speaking to residents who were turned away. Those who live in the community had mixed reactions to the checkpoint - part of a heightened effort to stanch the virulent homicide rate in the 5th Police District. The controversial step came after eight people were killed last weekend in five incidents, mostly in that district.

For a time on Saturday night, police used the checkpoint to limit access down the main thoroughfare of Trinidad, which is in Northeast near the National Arboretum and Gallaudet University, under the new Neighborhood Safety Zone program. They stopped motorists and checked their identification. Those who did not have a "legitimate purpose" in the area were not allowed to proceed.

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Police Get Mixed Response to Checkpoints ; Some in Trinidad Neighborhood Critical of Anti-Crime Measure

"If they hadn't put the notice up, they would have caught everybody red-handed," said Barbara Campos, 65, of the 1400 block of Montello Av...

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