(2008-02-11) Nyc Sensors Illegal

At the suggestion of the federal Department of Homeland Security, New York (NYC) City Council members have drafted legislation requiring anyone who has or uses a detector that measures chemical, biological or radioactive agents to get a license from the Police Department. The purpose of the bill is to reduce unwarranted anxiety and damage from false alarms of terrorist attacks (how ironic, given the silly color-code game)... The problem is that the bill as written would cover all "environmental sensors," and in the extreme interpretation even laboratory analyses, used by students, teachers, researchers, activists, unions and many other groups. Their work has far more to do with ecology, education, public health and worker safety than with terrorism. (Transparent Society, Dealing With Terrorism)