In an interim order issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin, the New York Police Department is required to immediately halt its controversial “stop and frisk” policy unless officers have a specific cause to initiate a search.
The ruling comes ahead of a full trial for two lawsuits filed by blacks and Latinos living in the Bronx who say the policy makes them feel like second-class citizens.
“While it may be difficult to say when precisely to draw the line between constitutional and unconstitutional police encounters such a line exists, and the NYPD has systematically crossed it when making trespass stops outside buildings,” the judge wrote.
Critics of the policy, who’ve long been vocal about wanting to see “stop and frisk” ended, say it has caused vastly more searches of racial minorities, even though statistics do not support the theory that they pose more of a threat to public safety.
Instead, the policy saw searches skyrocket more than 600 percent since Mayor Michael Bloomberg took office, according to NYPD data. As a result, police made significantly more small drug possession arrests thanks to the random searches, and a disproportionate percentage have consistently been racial minorities.
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- Federal Judge Halts NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Program Aimed at Trespassers (reason.com)
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“Critics of the policy, who’ve long been vocal about wanting to see “stop and frisk” ended, say it has caused vastly more searches of racial minorities, even though statistics do not support the theory that they pose more of a threat to public safety.”
Yep it’s those white folks that really commit all of the crimes…
The sad truth is that in a perfect world where police officers did not abuse their power or their position in society then I would agree with you. I cannot quote statistics and I will not even attempt to try on this subject as I would be sorely lacking in knowledge and information. However, I do have life experience with people who have been stopped and mistreated simply because they fit a particular profile.
Does that mean that some are not criminal? No
However , is it fair to say that profiling is alright and legitimate because a greater amount of minorities are found to be involved in illegal activities according to statistics?
There has to be a better way.
Kind of like wanting to eliminate all civilian rights to own a gun because the criminals use them to commit crimes. IMHO