As a New Yorker, I'm glad my tax dollars are being put to such good use. You can never be too careful when dealing with criminals as diabolical as Alicia Keys, so thank God the NYPD spent so much time and resources staking her out back in 2004. Because of their diligence, we are all safe from terror.

According to All Hip Hop, documents uncovered by the New York Civil Liberties Union show that Jay-Z, Diddy, Alicia Keys and LL Cool J were under surveillance by the NYPD in the months leading up to the 2004 Republican National Convention. Beyond a lot of groupie sex, sipping of Cristal, piano playing, and licking of lips, I don't know how much the cops hoped to find.

Each one of the artists attended a rally held by Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network in Aug. Of 2004, to support voter registration and to address various political issues.

"These documents paint a picture of a surveillance program that was broad, clumsy, and often unlawful," said Donna Lieberman, NYCLU Executive Director. "The NYPD failed to differentiate between unlawful behavior and behavior that is not only lawful but should in fact be cherished and protected. Today the public can finally bear witness to that failure."

The documents reveal that undercover NYPD officers infiltrated political meetings and monitored listservs for years before the Republican National Convention.

The NYPD is accused of recording information about activity that was completely peaceful and lawful.

New York officials attempted to block the documents from going public, but a judge ruled in favor of the NYCLU on May 4, ruling that the documents should not be kept under wraps.

I wonder, do police worry about surveillance of Republican country singers or, I don't know, Charlton Heston, prior to Democratic National Conventions?

[AHH]