D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced a military-style checkpoint yesterday to stop cars this weekend in a Northeast Washington neighborhood inundated by gun violence, saying it will help keep criminals out of the area.

Starting on Saturday, officers will check drivers’ identification and ask whether they have a “legitimate purpose” to be in the Trinidad area, such as going to a doctor or church or visiting friends or relatives. If not, the drivers will be turned away. . . .

Any driver objecting to being denied access to the neighborhood faces arrest.  And drivers are the only people being scrutinized; pedestrians will not be stopped.  Do they not have bus service in D. C.?  Or murderers who can walk or ride a bicycle?

The irony of the nation’s capital, supposedly the nexus of freedom, democracy and justice, modeling its crime prevention tactics after the Stasi is painful, but also completely lost on its municipal leaders.  As the city’s interim attorney general said, he’s “not worried about the constitutionality of it.”  Remember, it’s just a piece of paper.  In the meantime, let’s see yours, comrade.