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Map of the Day: Stop and Frisks on the Subway
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 19, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 19, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The Daily News put together a map detailing the number of stop-and-frisks on the subway - and the racial breakdown of these stop-and-frisks. As the accompanying article makes clear (as well as interviews with people who have been stopped - 1, 2) how cops can stop anyone , though black and Hispanic riders make up about half of the subway riding population, 88% percent of the people stopped are black or Hispanic. The NYPD told the News, "Subway crime is down, in part, because of stops. Officers make stops based on reasonable suspicion, and the numbers reflect the times, places and circumstances where those observations take place."
However, John Jay College of Criminal Justice's Eugene O'Donnell, who used to be a cop and prosecutor, and the NYCLU's Christopher Dunn argue the unnecessarily stopped black and Hispanic riders may become resentful and unwilling to cooperate with police in the future. O'Donnell says, "Anybody who's stopped and questioned and frisked unnecessarily, that's a big deal in a free society."
The map lists statistics by transit bureau, not by stop. Last year, a study the RAND corporation conducted based on NYPD data showed that all minorities have an equal chance of being stopped and questioned, but blacks and Hispanics are more likely to be stopped, frisked, searched, and arrested.
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stop and frisk
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The NYPD
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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