Patdown Slowdown

New York City cops are doing less hands-on work while on the job this year. The police department released data that shows cops stopped and frisked 134,029 people in the first three months of 2007. That's a 2.1% decrease over the same period in 2006. The New York Post reports that this is actually only the second time that the NYPD has released this sort of data. The department released the first-quarter stop and frisk data for 2006 back in February after repeated requests by the City Council.

Even with the decrease, the cops are on track to stop and frisk around 536,000 people in 2007, or approximately 6.5% of New York's entire population. If you are a completely average New York resident, there is a one in 15 chance that you will be stopped and frisked by police. We've read that an aggressive stop and frisk policy paired with more severe penalties for gun law violations are what led to the decrease in the city's gun violence in recent years. It will be interesting to see if this small decrease in stop and frisk incidents has any reverse repercussions.

(Frisked, by edEx at flickr)

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By Dave Hogarty in News on May 5, 2007 10:48 AM

Comments [rss]

BODY GUARDS

Of course - in THEORY - there has to be some reasonable suspicion someone is about to commit a crime to justify a legal stop and frisk - and that will not detect items being carried in bags unless permission is given to check them.

Still Not Amused

"Kevin" If you think the NYPD's worried about the consent of the person who's rights there about to violate your crazy . They search whom ever they want when ever they want . I bet that if the NYPD stopped and searched more White people this whole conversation would be null and void . Due to the fact that those white folks rights they violated would sue the city at every chance they got !

Kevin Bracken

Just make sure you clearly state, "I don't consent to any searches, sir/ma'am" and all they can do is check for weapons.

ahh butt dis

Cops don't care about "good cells" or "cancer cells".

It's all about busting your chops and you will be stopped one day. For any reason. One reason may be to offset the stops on minorities so you're caught up in the net.

Tex

Well, most street crime is committed by a fairly narrow cross-section of the public.

Not So Fast

"If you are a completely average New York resident, there is a one in 15 chance that you will be stopped and frisked by police."

That's assuming the police are stopping a broad cross-section of the public, which we can be fairly certain they're not.