Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Report: 80% of Stop-and-Frisks Are Black, Latino
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 16, 2009
Modified Jan 16, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 16, 2009
Modified Jan 16, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Center for Constitution Rights analyzed NYPD data between 2005 and the first half of 2008 and found, "approximately 80 percent of total stops made were of Blacks and Latinos, who comprise 25 percent and 28 percent of New York City’s total population, respectively. During this same time period, only approximately 10 percent of stops were of Whites, who comprise 44 percent of the city’s population."
Additionally, the CCR found "Blacks and Latinos are more likely to have physical force used against them during a NYPD-initiated stop than Whites. Yet the rates of summons and arrests from all stops is not only extremely low, but nearly the same across racial categories." In fact, for 2007, only 5.8% (27,632 arrests) of the 472,096 stops resulted in an arrest. The Daily News spoke to the NYPD, and spokesman Paul Browne pointed to a 2007 Rand report (which suggests the police do not racially profile during stop-and-frisk) and "said the number of minorities who were singled out under the policy is consistent with overall descriptions by race provided by victims and surviving witnesses of crime."
CCR is presenting the data in its lawsuit accusing the NYPD of racial profiling. One of the plaintiffs, David Floyd, a pre-med student at City College, said, "Getting stopped repeatedly by the police in my own neighborhood on the way home from work is humiliating. I brought the lawsuit to make sure they don’t do this to other innocent people on the basis of race. The police have to be held accountable when they break the law, just like anyone else.”
Tagged
lawsuit
nypd
racial profiling
stop and frisk
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to weigh changes to juvenile jails as assaults and overcrowding rise
The City Council is holding a hearing Tuesday to consider several bills aimed at reducing the youth detention population and improving conditions for those who remain.
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 12:10 p.m. ET
Early Addition: Who's giving out those chic little Nordic gummies this Halloween?
Because the status trick-or-treat candy has arrived, here are your early links: NYC Marathon-themed early voting sticker, New Jersey's Socialist Party on the rise, Herald Square billboard fight and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Who's giving out those chic little Nordic gummies this Halloween?
Because the status trick-or-treat candy has arrived, here are your early links: NYC Marathon-themed early voting sticker, New Jersey's Socialist Party on the rise, Herald Square billboard fight and more.
By
James Ramsay
In East Brooklyn, aging NYCHA homes get a $636M upgrade
By
Willow Higgins
What NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins
By
Caroline Lewis
Why New Yorkers should care about bats beyond spooky season
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .