Refusal to present ID sparks test of rights in the United States

This is a public bus that travels through the Federal Center in Lakewood.

Federal prosecutors are reviewing whether to pursue charges against an Arvada woman who refused to show identification to federal police while riding an RTD bus through the Federal Center in Lakewood.

Deborah Davis, 50, was ticketed for two petty offenses Sept. 26 by officers who commonly board the RTD bus as it passes through the Federal Center and ask passengers for identification.

During the Thanksgiving weekend, an activist who has helped publicize other challenges to government ID requirements posted a Web site about the case, which he said had logged more than 1.5 million visitors by lunchtime Monday.

"The petty offense ticket was issued by police on the scene," Colorado U.S. attorney's spokesman Jeff Dorschner said Monday. "The status of the matter is now under review."

The Federal Protective Service in Colorado referred inquiries to Carl Rusnok of Dallas, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which oversees the federal police. Both are part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Rusnok said the federal officers in Colorado told him the policy of checking the IDs of bus passengers and others entering the Federal Center began shortly after the April 1995 terrorist bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City.

"It's one of the multiple forms of security," Rusnok said. "The identification is one means of making sure that, whoever comes on base, that you know that they are who they say they are.

"There are a variety of other means that bad people could take to circumvent that, but that's why there are multiple layers of security," he said.

Between 7,000 and 8,000 people work at the Federal Center in Lakewood and between 2,000 and 2,500 people visit it every day, Rusnok said.

"Security to protect the employees and the visitors is a high priority," Rusnok said.

RTD spokesman Scott Reed said federal guards only check IDs of bus passengers when the Federal Center is on "heightened alert," which may not be known to the general public.

"It's periodic," Reed said.

"That is something we don't control," Reed said. "It is Federal Center property, and the federal security controls the ID-checking process. We try to cooperate as best we can and inform the public that this will occur."

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So ID isn’t needed to ride the bus, but when passing through the Federal Center it’s occasionally required. I don't see the problem with this. If it bothers you that while riding a public bus that happens to pass through federal property you occasionally might be troubled for your ID then drive your car or ride a bike. I don’t see why this is an issue especially if its been common for the past ten years.

I can’t determine if this bus actually stops on federal property or outside of it. If it actually goes onto federal property to drop people off then absolutely they have the right to ask for ID, if it just stops on a public street then of course they do not. If someone could shed some light on this, that would be great.











[edit on 29-11-2005 by CogitoErgoSum1]

What I don't understand is why do they get on the bus to ask people for ID if they aren't getting off at that stop?If joe smoe works at 7=11 and happens to ride that bus to get t
here...why does his ID need to be checked if he isn't getting off the bus at a federal location?

"It's one of the multiple forms of security," Rusnok said. "The identification is one means of making sure that, whoever comes on base, that you know that they are who they say they are

Um it isn't that hard to get ID in this country...just ask any illegal immigrant.
I believe it's Virginia that requires the least amount of Identification to obtain a drivers license...most illegals I have met have a VA drivers license..

My view is they are trying to see just how much we'll put up with...or how much it'll take before we are pushed too far..

This was on ATSNN too. The bus was entering a federal facility, therefore the riders were entering the federal facility. It doesn't matter if you are getting off there or not, to enter a federal facility you have to show a valid federal id. Try riding a bus that passes across a military base sometime, and you'll see. Even if your stop is on the other side of the base, they won't let you on if you don't show a fed id.