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NYPD Pats Down 4 Millionth Customer, As Stop-And-Frisks Increase By 13%
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 30, 2011
Modified Nov 30, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Nov 30, 2011
Modified Nov 30, 2011
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It's continuing to be a banner year for street shakedowns as the NYPD has stopped 514,000 people through September 2011, 13% higher than 2010. According to the NYCLU, 4 million people have been stopped since the program began in 2004. Did the lucky 4 millionth customer win a wheelbarrow full of NYPD swag? Were they allowed to keep their dignity and take a photo with NYPD's stop-and-frisk mascot, Patty, The Firm Hand Of Justice?
Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of those stopped are people of color, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne tells the Daily News that the stops are fair, and save lives: "Police stops comport proportionately with violent crime and save lives, most of young minority men who are disproportionately the victims of murder and other violent crime."
The NYCLU report notes that "All five precincts with the fewest stop-and-frisk encounters are concentrated below 59th Street in Manhattan and are majority white," including the Financial District and the West Village. "Racially biased policing undermines trust between residents and police, harming public safety," executive director of the NYCLU Donna Lieberman says in a release. "It’s time to hold the NYD accountable for its unlawful and destructive stop-and-frisk practices.”
That's what Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, along with State Sen. Eric Adams, City Councilmen Juumane Williams and Ydanis Rodriguez are attempting to do by asking the federal government to probe the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy.
Besides making people late for dinner, the stops are excellent at procuring low-level marijuana arrests. NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly recently reminded his department that marijuana is decriminalized when not in public view, but this directive seems counterintuitive if more stop and frisks keep exposing your stash to the harsh light of day.
Tagged
crime
drugs
marijuana
nypd
pat downs
racial profiling
Ray Kelly
stop and frisk
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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