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New Law Would Force Cops To Give A Card After Every Stop-And-Frisk
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 24, 2012
Modified Feb 24, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 24, 2012
Modified Feb 24, 2012
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Every time the NYPD stops and frisks someone without making an arrest, the officer who made the stop should have to give out a business card, says Councilmember Jumaane Williams, who plans to introduce a bill next week requiring cops to do just that. The card would have the officer’s name, rank and unit, and when you collect 10 you can presumably trade them in for an NYPD plush teddy bear!
"There’s a lot of inherent tension when a police officer stops someone," Williams tells the Daily News. "There’s a lot of mistrust in the community. I think a lot of that can be eased by officers identifying themselves so people know what’s happening." And it's good for local business too—considering the NYPD stopped and questioned an all-time-high of 684,330 people last year, if this actually got signed into law it would be a goldmine for the company that makes the NYPD business cards.
Williams's bill would also bar profiling of minorities and require officers to tell the person they stop that he or she has the right to refuse a search. Asked about the card proposal, Commissioner Ray Kelly told NY1 the NYPD already issues cards explaining the stop and frisk policy, though officers are not required to give them out.
Tagged
City Council
jumaane williams
nypd
stop and frisk
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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