What is a Neighborhood Safety Zone (NSZ)? What is a Neighborhood Safety Zone Entry Checkpoint? Are such zones constitutional? What is the purpose of a Neighborhood Safety Zone? What factors will be considered in selecting an area as an NSZ? Who will approve the establishment of an NSZ? How will the NSZ operate? What are examples of a legitimate reason for entering an NSZ? Does this mean that friends wishing to visit someone residing in an NSZ will be denied entry? What information will motor vehicle operators need to provide? Will operators be compelled to present a reason for entry? Will each vehicle that attempts to enter the NSZ be subject to search? What information will be maintained on the stopped vehicles? How will the NSZ affect pedestrians? Will Department members be trained in advance on how to implement an NSZ? Will this operation take vital patrol officers from other areas of the community?

Maxwell v. City of New York (2nd Circuit)
In 1992, in response to four drive-by shootings, the New York City Police Department implemented a temporary vehicular checkpoint in an eight squareblock where most of the drive-by shootings had taken place. Officers stopped every vehicle (not pedestrians) seeking to enter the area in order to ascertain the driver's connection to the neighborhood. Area residents, commercial vehicles, those dropping off small children or visiting the local church were permitted to enter the area. The court balanced (1) the gravity of the public concerns served by the checkpoint; (2) the degree to which the checkpoint effectively addressed those concerns; and (3) the severity of the intrusion upon individual liberty and held that the establishment of a vehicle checkpoint did not violate the 4th Amendment. The instructions given for the checkpoint were sufficiently detailed to be constitutional.

• Pertinent recent violent crime data.
• Information contained in citizen and community reports and complaints related to documented violent crimes in the area.
• Information gathered from criminal intelligence sources relevant to documented violent crimes in the area.
• The NSZ will not interfere with routine community activities and will cause minimum delays to normal traffic patterns.
  

• Posters will be placed in the area in advance to announce the establishment of the NSZ. 
• The NSZ will be established for no more than five days, unless the Chief of Police approves an extension of no more than days.
• The Police District Commander will determine the time periods during which the Neighborhood Safety Zone Entry Checkpoints will be operational during the approved time period.
• The established NSZ will be managed by an official of at least the rank of Lieutenant or above.  Teams of officers will staff Safety Checkpoints set up along the perimeter of the area in order to stop every vehicle seeking entry to the area.
• Only those drivers who provide a legitimate reason will be permitted entry.
• Drivers who cannot provide a legitimate reason, or who do not wish to provide a reason, will be denied access.
• Drivers who do not comply with the directions of a law enforcement officer may be arrested for “Failure to Obey” per Title 18 DCMR Section 2000.2.
• Vehicles that are exiting the NSZ will not be stopped.  However, traffic stops based on reasonable suspicion, probable cause, or in response to lookouts are authorized.
  
   

• The person resides in the NSZ.
• The person is employed in the NSZ or is on a commercial delivery.
• The person attends school or a day-care facility, or is taking a child to, or picking up a child from, a school or day-care facility in the NSZ.
• The person is a relative of a person who resides in the NSZ.
• The person is seeking medical attention, is elderly, or is disabled.
• The person is attempting to attend a verified organized civic, community or religious event within the NSZ.
• An official the rank of Sergeant or above assigned to the NSZ may approve the entry for reasons other than those listed above when there are exigent circumstances.
  

• For vehicles that are denied entry, the operator information, vehicle description, vehicle tag number, and reason for denial.
• For vehicles permitted entry, and in cases where the operator elects to leave the checkpoint without offering a reason for entry, the vehicle tag number and, where appropriate, the reason for entry.