Over-Enforcement in Paradise
Federal agents are using checkpoints on the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. While legal, these roadblocks may not be necessary, effective or appropriate.
It was a perfect day at Playa Caracas: A Sunday spent with my wife, baby daughter and dozens of good friends that we happened to meet. Swimming, sunning and socializing were the orders for the day; island relaxation at its finest.
Once the afternoon waned, we said our farewells and departed Caracas.
Shortly after leaving, I witnessed something I had never imagined to see anywhere near my beloved beaches: A full-stop roadblock in the middle of the main exit route through the Vieques Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
Three federal agents, armed, stood alongside blaze-orange traffic cones while tending to a short line of cars. The officers questioned drivers and inspected licenses in a process that took between one and three minutes per vehicle.
Ahead of our truck was a station wagon belonging to a good friend, a local man who spent the day at the beach with his children and grandchildren. He was questioned, then asked out of his car to open the car's rear hatch.
One of the three officers spoke to our friend in Spanish, and while the tone sounded jovial, I could see that the driver was polite in response, but nervous. After finding nothing out of sorts, the agents allowed him on his way.
When it was my turn in the queue, an agent approached and identified himself. I asked, "What is this about?". He responded that this was a 'routine checkpoint' to catch drunk drivers. While he talked, I watched as he inspected the inside of my truck, my daughter snug asleep in her seat.
Had I been drinking? Other than the pint of seawater I drank while body surfing, of course not! My life has the occasional self-sought danger, but I am no fool with my family's safety. My answers satisfactory, I was free to leave.
The whole process took a few minutes of my time, but it seemed unneeded, certainly out of place on the beach. I think that other people; locals, residents and visitors alike, were poorly served by these policies.
While the agents were polite and their actions were legal, there is something morally wrong with the presumption of guilt-before-innocence that accompanies a roadblock.
I am certainly not opposed to the need and use of laws for public safety, though three questions regarding roadblocks must be answered:
Are these roadblocks necessary?
I am not aware of any accidents happening on the Wildlife Refuge caused by driving under the influence.
Are these roadblocks effective?
It is not clear wether these roadblocks have removed any intoxicated drivers from the Refuge's roadways. It is not certain that other routine patrols would be equally effective at catching drivers under the influence.
Are these roadblocks appropriate?
This is a moral dilemma that is not satisfied by laws. Is this the best way for agents to serve the public while ensuring our safety and enjoyment of our natural resources? Is this how the FWS should treat residents? Is this the image of Vieques that FWS wishes to portray to our guests?
My objection to the use of roadblocks on the Fish and Wildlife Refuge, our public land, is that they violate an individual's privacy and peace of mind.
Many people, myself included, visit the beaches to enjoy a tranquil and relaxing environment. A police presence that is intended to create feelings of safety can have the opposite effect, even among the law-abiding. How does the man explain to his grandchildren why the agents stopped him?
A person's privacy is a human right that should be held sacred. Present laws grant many 'legal' methods of violating a person's privacy. The legality to do something intrusive does not provide the reason.
A common argument against the need for privacy: 'Those who have done nothing wrong have nothing to worry about.' I say, 'If I've done nothing wrong, you have no reason to worry about me.'
By treating visitors and the resident populace in this manner, by subjecting us to legal but unwarranted questioning and inspections, FWS is affecting the dignity and losing the respect of the people they are here to serve. The question that remains: will they continue to do so?
Quis custodiet custodes ipsos? "Who watches the watchers?"