By Hunter Walker 6/08/12 9:24am

Rewriting History

NYPD-Chief-Ray-Kelly-Hold-007

NYPD Spokesman Says Stories Of Reporters Arrested At Occupy Raid Were ‘A Total Myth’ [Update]

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly and his top spokesman, Paul Browne, gave a lengthy, exclusive interview to the Queens Chronicle in which they discussed one of the biggest controversies surrounding the Department in recent months–the arrests of journalists during last November’s raid on the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park. Mr. Browne apparently denied reports of journalists arrested at Zuccotti Park and attributed them to protesters using fake press credentials.

“Paul Browne, the deputy commissioner for public information, who accompanied Kelly to the interview, added that only one journalist was arrested during the operation, despite stories to the contrary, which he called ‘a total myth,’” wrote Chronicle Editor in Chief Peter C. Mastrosimone. “Occupy Wall Street protesters were forging press credentials in an effort to get through the police lines, he added, but that doesn’t mean actual reporters were arrested.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 6/07/12 4:04pm

frisky business

NYPD

Eric Holder Discussing Plans For NYPD Stop And Frisk Investigation

A delegation of elected officials from New York is currently in Washington D.C. to express their concerns about the NYPD’s controversial stop and frisk policy and ask the Department of Justice to investigate the program as a civil rights violation.

Multiple sources have confirmed to The Politicker that Attorney General Eric Holder met with leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus yesterday to discuss the issue. A source on Capitol Hill also told us that, at that meeting, Mr. Holder expressed his interest in investigating stop and frisk. Read More

By Hunter Walker 6/07/12 1:01pm

frisky business

Members of the stop and frisk delegation including State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Councilwoman Mellissa Mark-Viverito and Assemblyman Karim Camara meeting with officials in Washington.

New York Politicians Take D.C. Road Trip To Push For Stop And Frisk Investigation

A number of New York City and State elected officials are in Washington D.C. this afternoon to address their concerns about the NYPD’s controversial stop and frisk policy. They are calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the NYPD’s use of stop and frisk as a civil rights violation.  The NYPD stopped a record number of people last year, the vast majority of whom were minorities.

“New Yorkers are fed up with this policy that continually targets our communities,” Assemblyman Karim Camara, Chairman of the New York State Black Puerto Rican Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus said in a statement. “The numbers tell a tragic story. One recent report said that more young black men were stopped than actually lived in the city.  We cannot get away from the fact that there is implicit racial bias in this tactic used by the NYPD.  Since City officials refuse to listen, we are taking our cause to Washington.  It’s time for some high-powered back up to advocate for the civil rights of New Yorkers.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 6/05/12 3:29pm

frisky business

(Photo: Wikimedia)

LGBT Pols to Rally Against Stop-and-Frisk

At a news conference taking place later today to push for reforms to the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy, a plethora of LGBT elected officials and candidates will be sending their support as well. Joining advocates at the historic Stonewall Inn will be Council Speaker Christine Quinn, representatives from every gay or lesbian council member in the city, and Assemblyman Matt Titone.

The press conference in many ways represents the expanding base of support advocates against stop-and-frisk have been able to accumulate. Previously, support for changing the NYPD tactic was generally confined to elected officials in — or seeking to represent — the black and Latino communities that are most affected by the policy. Read More

By David Freedlander 5/30/12 4:57am

Police Procedures

NY Mayor Bloomberg Holds Press Conference On Foiled Terror Case

Frisky Business: Once Again, Police Practices Matter In Politics

One afternoon earlier this month, Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate and a potential mayoral candidate, held a press conference on the steps of City Hall to unveil a new report and suggest a modest reform. The New York Police Department has seen the number of people it has stopped and frisked skyrocket, often without yielding any evidence of a crime. Mr. de Blasio suggested the agency simply record the number and location of their stops, just as they record murder, thefts and rapes under CompStat, the computerized police accountability system that is credited with keeping the city’s plunging crime rate low.

A few hours later, Howard Wolfson, Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s deputy mayor for communications and an old pal of Mr. de Blasio’s from their days on the Hillary Clinton Senate campaign, sent out a blistering response. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/17/12 12:01pm

frisky business

Christine Quinn (Photo: Facebook)

Christine Quinn Announces Stop-and-Frisk Changes

As the tension over the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policies escalates and various mayoral contenders are leaping out to get in front of this issue, Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced changes “in response to my letter and calls from others seeking reforms to stop and frisk procedures.” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced, Ms. Quinn said in a statement, “changes to officer training, monitoring, supervision, transparency, and accountability.”

While it’s not particularly clear if anything is necessarily being done to reduce the total number of stop-and-frisks, there will now be additional training and increased reaction to complaints about any officers accused of misconduct. In Ms. Quinn’s original letter requesting reforms, she requested “cultural sensitivity” training, which may be what Mr. Kelly will now be implementing, in some form. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/14/12 10:45am

arguments

(Photo: YouTube)

Pete King Tangles With Ryan Lizza Over NYPD [Video]

Congressman Pete King, the head of the House’s Homeland Security Committee, has been generating some media buzz recently with his forceful rejection of a Democratic amendment which would restricting federal funding from police forces declared to be discriminatory by the Attorney General. While the amendment wouldn’t directly impact the NYPD, the subtext of the legislation was clearly intended to send a message regarding the Muslim-surveillance controversy unearthed by The Associated Press earlier this year. And on a recent CNN discussion, Mr. King pushed back hard when The New Yorker‘s Ryan Liza tried to give credit to The AP’s report.

“First off, there is no profiling, that’s the absolute nonsense that people like you and others are propagating,” Mr. King stated flatly when the topic was broached.

“I’m not propagating anything I’m just telling you that there’s been some very legitimate questions raised about what the NYPD is doing!” Mr. Lizza shouted back. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/11/12 8:38am

frisky business

(Photo: Getty)

Bloomberg: Stop-and-Frisk Is Supposed to Act As A Deterrent

On Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s appearance on John Gambling’s radio show this morning, Mr. Bloomberg defended the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policies from critics who are pointing to the fact that as the number of stops has increased from 160,000 a year in 2003 to 685,000 last year, the percentage of stops to yield a gun has also dropped off significantly.

“What we do know is that the number of guns that we’ve been finding has continued to go down which says that the program at this scale is doing a great job,” Mr. Bloomberg said when Mr. Gambling asked what the right number of stops is. “The whole idea here John is not to catch people with guns it’s to prevent people from carrying guns.”

Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/10/12 12:20pm

circle of life

Bill de Blasio (Photo: Facebook)

Bill de Blasio Pushes Back on Mayor’s Push Back on His Push Back Against Stop-And-Frisk

After Public Advocate Bill de Blasio announced his platform for reducing the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics yesterday afternoon, Mayor Bloomberg’s office responded rather sharply, stating through Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, “Mr. de Blasio may be nostalgic for the days when the ACLU set crime policy in this city, but most New Yorkers don’t want rampant crime to return.” Although he had already responded through a spokesman, Mr. de Blasio pushed back even further on the criticism in a conference call with reporters earlier this morning.

“The thousands and thousands of people demanding a response here would like to see the mayor talk about their response, instead of bluntly this very crass counterattack we saw yesterday, which did not in any way shape or form address the issue,” Mr. de Blasio said, while stating that the mayor “is turning a blind eye” towards mounting criticism. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/09/12 2:08pm

frisky business

Bill de Blasio and other elected officials at today's rally.

Bill de Blasio Calls for Specific Stop-and-Frisk Executive Order

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio continued ramping up opposition to what he called the “overuse” of the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics today, unleashing a four point plan that notably focuses on a hypothetical executive order Mayor Michael Bloomberg is called on to sign. The executive order, which can be viewed below, requires that stop-and-frisk numbers be included with other crime data and for police commanders to actively seek ways to reduce the tactic’s use.

“A commander is in front of the superior officers at One Police Plaza and they review crime data,” Mr. de Blasio explained to reporters when taking questions after the event. “Now put stop-and-frisk into the question. The value in the discussion would now be getting the number right, not as high as can be as is the current situation.” Read More