I stumbled upon a “Million Man March” in Harlem about a decade ago. Until then I had never seen American citizens being herded like cattle through barricades while police helicopters hovered overhead. It was not until I went to view an Occupy Wall Street protests earlier this year that I witnessed similar, but not as extreme, measures taken to control Americans demonstrating. Should we expect the Stop-and-Frisk policies to migrate from inner city low income communities to main steam America as well? I am very pro law and order, but what gives the police the right to stop and frisk 600,000 New Yorkers every year? I must admit there are areas of the Bronx I avoid driving through during certain evening hours due to the high risk of being pulled over or questioned at a police check point.
Gregory
*************
February 10, 2012
Dear New Yorker,
This past week I sent a letter to Police Commissioner Kelly expressing concern about the New York Police Department's (NYPD) stop-and-frisk practices and suggesting ways in which the policy can be significantly improved.
While there's no disputing that stop-and-frisk is an effective crime fighting tool, I'm concerned about the impact that the department's stop-and-frisk practices are having, particularly on communities of color.
To help address these concerns and improve police-community relations, I will be supporting legislation requiring the NYPD to report to the City Council on the departmental audits of stop-and-frisk activities.
I have also called for the following changes to the department's stop-and-frisk practices:
- The NYPD should ensure that all officers, regardless of rank, receive ongoing training in "cultural sensitivity" and are familiar with the department's written racial profiling policy.
- The NYPD should comprehensively review data to create an "early warning system" to flag officers and precincts where out-of-the-ordinary stop-and-frisk activity is taking place.
- Absent "extraordinary circumstances," the NYPD should consider an improper stop-and-frisk a serious matter, and violations shouldn't be punished with a "slap on the wrist."
You can read more about these recommendations in the Wall Street Journal article pasted below. Otherwise, I hope to be in touch again soon with additional news and updates on this issue.
Thanks and have a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
1 comment:
If this is the speakers assesment of the stop & frisk policy, she needs glasses, & and a BRAIN!! Through the NYPD's own study the policy only has yielded les the 3 percent arrests. What you have had in recent months are, Narcotic police officers planting drugs on people. Police officers beating and kicking a suspect after he;s been arrested on the ground. A 19 year old being killed while throwing his pot down a toilet. A police officer saying a motorist going very fast, almost hitting him. The video tape shows the driver in Brooklyn was going 5MPH, and never came near the officer. This officer has put that in writing, hence committing PERJURY. Oh Yea!! let not forget that outstanding OFFICER that was a racist that the feds nabbed. The problem is they do it because they can, and most of the time, the courts let them get away with it. You or me, they would send to prison, and throw away the key. They get propation, and community service. Just look at the women whole stole food, and got arrested, because her children were hungry. Were's the Speaker on that. Hoping to become the next Mayor. I don't think so, we're starting to dig up her skeletons, and boy does she have a LOT!!! Mark Twain once said! One should be very carefull when they make deals!, especially when it's the devil you're dealing with!!!
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