NYPD’s ‘stop and frisk’ policy illegal, says Federal Monitor
The Hindu
The NYPD has once again come under scrutiny for its unconstitutional ‘stop and frisk’ policy, a court-appointed Federal Monitor reported
New York City's reliance on the tactic known as “stop and frisk" as part of a new initiative to combat gun violence is harming communities of colour and running afoul of the law, a court-appointed Federal Monitor reported on June 5.
Monitor Mylan Denerstein said the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD’s) Neighbourhood Safety Teams — special units deployed in the past 14 months to seize guns in high-crime areas — were engaging in “unconstitutional policing” by stopping and frisking too many people without justification.
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In one police precinct, Ms. Denerstein said that only 41% of stops, 32% of frisks and 26% of searches were lawful.
The Neighbourhood Safety Teams, a replacement for the anti-crime units that the NYPD disbanded in 2021, operate in 34 areas that account for 80% of the city's violent crime, largely in communities of colour. Of the people the teams have stopped, 97% are Black or Hispanic, Ms. Denerstein said.
A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said city officials “have serious concerns” with Ms. Denerstein's methodology and that they only learned of her findings after news outlets reported on them. The spokesperson, Fabien Levy reported that shootings have fallen since the Neighbourhood Safety Teams were created.
Officers assigned to the units “have enhanced training and oversight to ensure we are not only keeping New Yorkers safe, but also protecting their civil liberties,” Mr. Levy said, adding that “any unconstitutional stop is unacceptable, and we will strive to do better for New Yorkers every day”.
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