http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/stop_and_frisk/index.html Updated: Aug. 20, 2012 The term stop and frisk' is shorthand for a strategy that police officers use to reduce crime in an area by stopping and searching people they consider suspicious. In New York City, the approach led to close to 700,000 stops in 2011 alone. In 2012, the number of street stops in New York from January through March 2012 rose to 203,500 from 183,326 during the same quarter of 2011. The tactic has come under fire from civil rights groups, as well as some city council members and minority community leaders, who point out that the overwhelming majority of the stops do not result in the discovery of any wrongdoing on the part of the person stopped. Critics also say that the police have unfairly targeted black and Hispanic young men, who have made up 85 percent of those stopped. The police department has strongly defended the tactic as helping to bring down crime, saying it is an effective way of getting illegal guns off the streets. In May 2012, a federal judge said that the citys own records showed that many of the stops did not meet the constitutional standards for searches. The law does not permit a search of pockets based simply on a police officers hunch or performance quota; an officer may pat someone down if there is reason to believe that a person is carrying an illegal weapon. To conduct a search of the pockets, or to order someone to empty their pockets, requires yet a higher standard involving probable cause that a weapon is present. The judge found that officers often relied on vague grounds such as furtive movements. Poll: Opinions About Stop and Frisk Divided by Race A majority of black New Yorkers say stop-and-frisk police tactics lead to the harassment of innocent people, while most white city residents view the practice as an acceptable way to improve urban safety, according to a new poll by The New York Times. Opinions about stop-and-frisk are divided by race. Fifty-five percent of whites described the use of the tactic as acceptable; 56 percent of blacks called it excessive. Among Hispanics, 48 percent said it was acceptable, and 44 percent said it was excessive. Republicans, independents and residents of Queens generally support the practice; Democrats and Manhattanites generally deem it excessive. Read More... In some discussions of late I seen this analogy of the idea of "Security Vs Liberties" being touted by some of my so called conservative brethens an also hear libturds suggesting people such as OWS having their rights trampled on yet, where is the outcry on this? I would think that the so called conservatives that seem so bent on exposing Governmental abuses against Individual Liberties of late yet where is the outcry on this policy? I would also bring up the lib-turds obsessive attitude on the rights of their OWS white spoiled rich brats that like to act out on public property within highly populated areas yet they say nothing about the abuse of young blacks and hispanics on a daily basis?
They had best have real good probable cause to stop and frisk me on the street and I would demand in writing why I was stopped. I would then provide that to a lawyer for my lawsuit. No sir, personal liberty cannot be diminished
The safety of the state's enforcers has become more important than the sanctity of your liberty. For that, you can blame those who forever seek someone else to provide them "security" while installing people in government who purposely expand poverty, dependency and crime associated with the welfare state for votes.
Probable cause is way over used by overzealous and crooked cops alike, but it gives them the authority to not only stop and frisk but to hold you for 24 hours, and bug you and your activity for 24 hours without a warrant. Unless you turn out to be one of the rich/elites, who has the connections to make their life miserable, then they might be sorry for their impulsiveness. Other than that move along peasant this was for your own good and the police officers safety. Haven’t you ever watched COPS? I find it completely ironic that a police officer in NY/Chicago/Detroit/DC/LA/Houston/Miami can't readily identify a criminal gang banger, and a cop in AZ/Cal/Texas/Nevada/New Mexico can't find an illegal alien when a normal person can't swing a stick without hitting one, but they (the same cops) can tell you where every known crack house is blind folded.
Rather than go after guns and gun carriers, I would prefer the application of the death penalty in a timely manner to control homicide rates. _
Americans care more about their rights to kill babies and receive free condoms than the Fourth Amendment. We are truly screwed.
I'm not sure about the whole 24 hold thing, yet I'm just curious where the outcry about this obvious violation to civil liberties???
I am outraged, but let's be real here, civil liberties/individual rights is little more than a myth since the Patriot Act took them all away for the greater good. I've heard that demanding your rights and quoting the constitution these days will get you a a tazer moment, and a baton shoved up your privates to assist them in directing you to a seat in a patrol car faster than you can say police brutality. That's why I suggest you walk the fine line, when asked to do so, or be prepared to have 12 page police report about how you committed assault and battery on an officer of the law. Of course it will all be a complete fabrication but some interesting creative writing none the less that will get you a few years probation at least, maybe a year or two at most. Oh and don't worry if you decide to fight back, those scrapes and cuts will heal, and so will those broken bones in time.
White people are so funny when they fantasize they could get back at the system and succeed! That is something they can indulge in because racism dictates that these violations so RARELY happen to them. As so many minorities know from regular experience, the reply for a demand for "probable cause" in WRITING would be written across their head with a billy club, and then their arrest for "assault on a police officer"..
I got pulled over the other day well last week, first ticket in 8 years so not too bad but the officer apologize for pulling me over. Around here it is usually easy going unless they just don't like you. Now speaking of that got a friend that has once again had his case rescheldule, seems as though he beat down 5 cops. Sad story but, the case keeps getting rescheldule because of the lies the police and judge has told over the last few years. Look up Knoxville Judges one is now fighting to keep his judge but the Sherriff wasn't so lucky, he got toss out on his arse and I'm thinking he is looking at 3-5 years. The police in most places are not nearly as secured as one thinks, I just don't want this Stop an Frisk to venture too far away from NY as is being suggested. Yet no outrage from the People so I guess they'll expand it to other cities till its normal operating procedures, thanks becuase basically the People are allowing this, lost of Liberties even to walk a street is now reason. Ps saddest thing is that many of my so called conservative brethen supports this BS. So I'm really suspicious of most Republicans namely Romney and company.
You would most likely "accidentally" drown yourself in a toilet, or die of thirty or forty "self inflicted" gunshot wounds.
