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By Colin Campbell 5/17 12:01pm

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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 5/11 8:38am

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(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.”

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By Colin Campbell 5/09 4:24pm

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(Photo: Getty)

John Liu Calls for Stop-and-Frisk’s Abolishment as Mayor’s Office and Bill de Blasio Spar

As the news cycle spirals around President Barack Obama coming out in support of gay marriage, news surrounding stop-and-frisk politics has also come cascading down after Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, a potential candidate for mayor in 2013, upped his criticism this afternoon. Notably, Comptroller John Liu, also a likely mayoral candidate, has gone one step beyond his rivals, who have argued that some stop-and-frisk tactics should remain as a police tool, and called for the policy to end completely.

“While it is true that stop-and-frisk has gotten some guns and criminals off the streets, it’s also true that stop-and-frisk continues to deepen the chasm between communities and police, relationship that is vital to maintaining a safe and secure city for all New Yorkers,” Mr. Liu said in a statement today. “Stop and frisk should be abolished.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/09 2:08pm

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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

By Hunter Walker 3/05 4:35pm

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Peter King

Peter King Says Minorities Should Be Thankful For Stop And Frisk

Congressman Peter King held a rally this morning where he blasted press reports critical of the NYPD’s efforts to monitor the Muslim community as “left wing rumormongering” and The Politicker asked him if he thought coverage of the controversial stop and frisk policy was similarly biased.

“Absolutely,” Mr. King said. “The stop and frisk policy of the NYPD has reduced murders by 70 to 80 percent over the last twenty years.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/15 10:51am

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Scott Stringer speaking at City Hall yesterday. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

Scott Stringer And Jumaane Williams Call For NYPD To Reform Stop And Frisk

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Councilman Jumaane Williams held a press conference outside City Hall yesterday where they called on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to end the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy in the wake of a report by the New York Civil Liberties Union showing the police department stopped and interrogated a record number of people last year. The NYCLU report showed the NYPD conducted stop-and-frisks 684,330, the highest total since the department began collecting stop-and-frisk statistics in 2002 and a 603 percent increase since that year. About 87 percent of those stopped and frisked were black or Latino.

“This report, I think, makes it very clear that it is time to end this policy of stop and frisk as presently constituted,” Mr. Stringer said. “Communities of people who are caucasian, people who look like me, never worry about their child or grandchild going to the store for a glass of milk. They’re not worried about the police, they welcome the police on their street corner.”  Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/08 11:47am

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Jumaane Williams (Photo: Facebook)

Jumaane Williams Thanks Quinn for Criticizing NYPD Stop-And-Frisk Policy

The Wall Street Journal reported today that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a top-tier mayoral contender in 2013, penned a letter to NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly criticizing the police’s “stop-and-frisk” policy. In the letter, Ms. Quinn wrote that the policy “has been carried out in a way that has sewn distrust in communities of color.”

This afternoon, one of the most prominent opponents of the stop-and-frisk policy, Councilman Jumaane Williams, sent out a statement cheering Ms. Quinn on.

“I thank Speaker Quinn for sending this letter; it is a hopeful step forward for the police accountability movement. This is a focus on getting safer streets and better policing for all New Yorkers,” he said. “We need reform because a system that promotes or permits discriminatory justice benefits no one, including the police officers who work hard every day in our communities.” Read More