Stop and frisk is a controversial topic which has many retractors as supporters. On internet the information about this topic is really broad. However, in this response I did a research based on pros of the stop and frisk program. I took information from newspapers, TV channels, blogs, forums, research of universities. Moreover, I looked for other topics related such as; increase of violence, illegal guns, gun violence, weapons in schools, and also, gangs in NYC.…
Today around 1,400 citizens in New York City will have their constitutional rights violated through an unlawful search. The legal term for the controversial search is stop and frisk. The New York Police Department continues to pressure its officers to stop and frisk citizens, and these situations are happening at an alarmingly increasing rate. For the New York Police Department, it seems to be a game of numbers as they continue to force their officers to conduct stop and frisks through quotas (Gangi). While New York City has seen a decrease in crime over Mayor Bloomberg's term, it is difficult to directly correlate the stop and frisk policy with these decreases. This unlawful practice needs to stop as it is a controversial practice that many people believe is a direct violation of the human rights inherent for citizens. Furthermore, it could turn New York City into a police state.…
In 2011 alone, 700,000 New Yorkers were pulled over for stop and frisk searches. Approximately 87 percent were Hispanic or Black and of that percentage 90 percent were deemed innocent (Huffington Post). In comparison, from 2002 to 2011 Hispanics and Blacks made up 90 percent of people stopped, and 88 percent of those stopped were innocent New Yorker (New York Civil Liberties Union). If racial profiling in this case was effective that would be one thing, but there has yet to be any published research that has proven the effectiveness of this program, which is shown in the lack of arrests produced. Violent crimes in New York have decreased by 29 percent between 2001 and 2010; however, other major cities, such as Los Angeles and New Orleans, have experience larger declines without the use of stop and frisk (New York Civil Liberties Union). This is a clear example of why this program that causes more harm than good, should be abolished.…
In an effort to maximize an individuals rights during search and seizures along with stop-and-frisks, the United States government has developed numerous laws and amendments. The Fourth Amendment states, The right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched , and the persons or things to be seized (U.S. Constitution). This amendment was first used in the court system in the case of Terry vs. Ohio (1968). This case was the case that shaped the stop-and-frisk laws that are found in our country today. In 1942 legislators started to authorize stops-and-frisks on less than probable cause under the Uniform Arrest Act. This act gave an officer the right stop a person in public based upon reasonable ground to suspect that the person is committing has committed, or is about to commit a crime, and then search him for a dangerous weapon if the officer has reasonable ground to believe that he is in danger (Whitebread, 2000). In 1968 the Supreme Court addressed the issue in terry v. ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S. Ct. 1868, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889. In Terry an experienced plainclothes officer observed three men acting suspiciously; they were walking back and forth on a street and peering into a particular store window. The officer concluded that the men were preparing to rob a nearby store and approached them. He identified himself as a police officer and asked for their names. Unsatisfied with their responses, he then subjected one of the men to a frisk, which produced a gun for which the suspect…
In America there have been multiple tyrannical actions that the government have used on citizens and innocent bystanders. One of these actions are called “Stop and Frisk” which is a prevalent tactic used, especially in New York. “Stop and Frisk” means to be randomly searched by police or high authority when they suspect a bystander is carrying something suspicious. “Stop and Frisk” is a political issue that has been a concern for a long period of time. According to the articles “Growing up with Stop and Frisk” by Sara Maria Glanowski and “Why Stop and Frisk Matters, Even if You Don’t Live in New York” by Andrew Cohen, the cons towards “Stop and Frisk” is clearly stated and relevant. People are being stopped based off racial profiling, while statistics proves that majority of the time, they are innocent. Stop and Frisk must be impermissible and abolished because it is unconstitutional and individuals are stopped based off appearance and not on evidence that proves there guilty.…
Racial profiling occurs when a police officer uses a “profile” as reasonable suspicion to stop a person with the intent to obtain consent to search their belongings (Pollock, 2010). These stops are usually traffic stops and the officer is looking to obtain consent to search the individual’s automobile. The “profile” used is based on race. In these cases, an officer is using their discretion to target minority groups because they believe they are involved in criminal activities. The concern with using this profile is that racial stereotyping of minority groups will lead police to crack down on minorities more than on other groups. While police see the action of racial profiling as a normal police tactic, minority…
A police officer who reasonably suspects a person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a felony, stops and questions that person. If the officer feels the suspects he or she is in danger of physical injury. I personally disagree with “Stop and Frisk” because of the way how the cops approach a person and assume who is a danger to others and to themselves. Stop and Frisk is one of the biggest issue for New Yorkers because it has increased so much, which was also bringing up a lot of controversial issue. For example, racial issues, cops abusing their authority, and…
In 2011, 685, 724 people were stopped and frisked by the police. This is a record high by more than 50,000 stops in New York City, 87% of the stops were either black or Latino, raising the question of is this morally ethical due to racial profiling (NYCLU, 2014). Why should an individual be stopped and frisked without probable cause?…
I am aware that here in New York we are surrounded by all types of people and of all cultures and races but why if this is so and we have our Constitution as it is written do we have to deal with this Stop and Frisk situation. I believe this is an invasion of space and privacy and that this violates our rights as citizens of this country. The Stop and frisk program is being done by the New York Police Department. They are stopping thousands of people and are searching for contraband and weapons.…
Racial profiling has been around for quite so many years and is a very controversial issue. Racial profiling refers to the targeting of particular individuals by law enforcement authorities based not on their behavior, but rather their personal characteristics. It is generally used to encompass more than simply an individual's race. As used in this report, it encompasses race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion and means the impermissible use by law enforcement authorities of these personal characteristics, to any degree, in determining which individuals to stop, detain, question, or subject to other law enforcement activities (Leadership Conference, 2011). Racial profiling is a rising issue that needs to be addressed and terminated before it worsens.…
Racial Profiling Racial profiling is one of the most controversial and complex issue facing multicultural countries like Canada and the United States. It is an issue that elicits emotional debate and division within all segments of the society. This is due to the perceived discrimination that occurs based on people’s racial and ethnic composition or color.…
Some people believe that the Stop-and-Frisk Program helps catch potential criminals and reduce crime in New York City. Stop-and-Frisk allows officers in New York City to stop individuals based on reasonable suspicion and search them for any possible illegal contraband. However, many of these searches are often unsuccessful in stopping crime. The practice of stop and frisk by the New York Police Department(NYPD) has not been effectively utilized and raise serious concerns. It is a process that should be discontinued in New York City because of how intrusive it is to the lives of citizens. There are three reasons why the practice of stop and frisk should be discontinued in New York City: racial profiling of minorities; illegal stopping of bystanders;…
The idea of Stop and Frisk has created many problems in today’s society. There are debates over NYC about the policy of stop and frisk. Some people think it’s good for us, but there are others who don’t really appreciate it. People who are against it think that the police are invading their personal space, and even…
This paper was written to take a look at both sides of the stop and frisk program. By examining both sides I hope to show the effectiveness of the program, but not to leave out the possible negative effects also. There is no doubt that this program has gain a lot of negative attention, the main controversial issue at hand is that the people feel that it gives the cops to much authority to stop anyone they can. This program is to believe that it is a way to make cities more safe, but the ones’ that are mostly stopped are African-American and Latino young men and they feel that the program is a way for the cops to use it for racial profiling. Not only is it used for profiling, but these people believe…
The video I will be reflecting upon is about the NYPD frisk policy and the controversy with the racial profiling that it has forced officers to use. To understand this through a sociological perspective I will reflect upon how I think a functionalist, conflict theorist, and social interactionist would view this video. Looking at the perspectives of Functionalist I believe that these individuals would say that perceptions may define how we see people as deviant or not. Some may arguably say that certain individuals look like they fit the structural strain theory compared to others. As for a conflict theorist they would argue that officers with higher power have social control over these individuals that they are frisking. This means that officers…