I was walking into work on the day this article was due in at the PRESS for my editors to review.

It’s Friday and soon I am supposed to be heading out on three days of rest and relaxation. On days like that I have to say it is hard to focus on what I could say to make you think about what I believe is a viable subject for the week, day or whatever.

Having written at great length about gun violence, and rappers and the police in the past year, I generally try to move into other areas that are outside of that box.

But this week I will have to talk about all of those things because our police commissioner compels me to do so.

How can Bernard Kerik influence me, you may be asking.

Well, invariably bureaucrats will do things that affect all of us because they have chosen to use the political, social, or financial shotgun when a flyswatter, would have done the job.

On this day that I write you, the judicial version of overkill is in play.

The NYPD has decided to set up what is being called a hip-hop patrol. That’s right hip-hop patrol or rap- patrol if you prefer.

The officers that comprise the patrol are would-be members of the Department’s Gang Unit and they would patrol the dozen or so clubs that are frequented by members of the hip-hop community.

They will be in place to gather information on hip-hop artists, including what kinds of cars they drive, licenses, who the rappers are seen with, and will pay close attention to "them" to see if they may or may not have a weapon.

Now I don’t know about you but when I heard this I thought to myself and then said out loud, "you have got to be kidding". After reading the article and making a few phone calls, it seemed like the "joke" was on me and I wasn’t laughing.

Just when you think that these people can’t figure out another way to offend and violate us, they do just that.

Out of one side of the police mouths that are defending this, we are hearing things like "We are not profiling rappers." While on the other side of the forked tongue you hear "It’s equivalent to how we look at other groups like the Mafia and gangs like the "Bloods" or "Latin Kings".

We already know the NYPD doesn’t have a heavy metal task force or a country and western patrol. So why would they feel the need to follow around people who are primarily people of color? Their excuse is that "some rappers are involved in criminal activity and we will be looking at them." Then, why not just look at them and not a whole community. Why give our children another reason to believe that their interests are considered criminal without due process.

Do some rap stars get into trouble? Yes. Do they get into trouble at a higher rate or proportion as compared to other groups? Maybe. But even if that answer was definitely, does it merit a special police unit.

Government and especially the NYPD, shouldn’t get a pass to play J. Edgar Hoover, and start compiling dossiers on individuals because there is a perception of danger. When I go to one of these clubs, dressed in casual or urban clothes, and pull up in my SUV, should I then be a part of these files for use at a later date? The answer to that question is no.

And it is also no for anyone who may do the same thing.

This latest example is another way in which people are demonstrating their ignorance, and furthering the racial and social divides that consume us like cancer. It’s another reason to distrust the police who otherwise are there to serve and protect. It is also another reason why this police commissioner should start sending out his resume.

The hip-hop patrol idea flirts with violating the civil rights of a large segment of the African American, entertainment community, and is sending a clear message about being the top cop in a city that is primarily made up of people of color.

While the rap industry has it’s faults, and there are many, it has been a means of political and social expression for blacks for more than 20 years. In my opinion, there are other directions the philosophy of rap can go in the 21st century. Those directions, however, should be chosen by the people who affect it the most, not by an institution that understands it least and could care even less.