Stop and Frisk Essay Example for Free

Stop and Frisk Essay The Stop and Frisk program employed by the New York Police Department, gives police officers the right to initiate a stop of an individual on the street allegedly based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. Stop and frisk has been an NYPD tool for decades, but in recent years it has generated an increased amount of criticism and debate due to the alarming rate in which they occur communities of color, who often feel under attack and harassed by the police. Minorities even make up the majority percentage of people searched in predominantly white neighborhoods, which is why I believe that either some kind of quota or limit system should be implement where only a certain percentage of people stopped cane be of a specific race or from specific neighborhood, or New York City should just get rid of the program all together. 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. This issue is similar to the racial profiling tactics used by Transportation Security Administration officers at countless airports across the United States. Since the September 11th attacks there have been countless claims of racial profiling in airports, particularly against those who appear to be Muslim or Middle Eastern. While it is the TSAs job to keep airports safe and travelers minds at ease, as it is the NYPDs job to accomplish similar goals, this does not give them the right to stop those who are profiled due to their race, religion or simply because their physical appearance is suspicious. However, unlike the random search tactics used in New York, there is evidence that exhibits that the majority of Americans are in favor f racial profiling in airports. According to a 2010 poll conducted by USA Today, 75 percent of Americans polled favored subjecting airline passengers, who fit a profile of terrorists based on age, gender and ethnicity to more extensive security searches. Although airport security is extremely important, I would be in favor of a more random method of searching rather than specifically targeting a certain demogr aphic on the basis that they â€Å"fit a profile. For example, Mexican airport utilize a system where every traveler has to push a button that displays either a red light, which signifies that they must stop for further inspection, and green, which indicates that they are free to pass. Such a random system almost eliminates the possibility of racial profiling. One may argue that although, as a result of this program, only 10 percent of the people stopped and searched are actually arrested, that still means that there are less criminals roaming the streets making the city a safer place. The Police Commissioner of the NYPD, Raymond Kelly, has gone on the defense against critics, saying that neighborhoods, such as Harlem, have grown, population wise, and become safer. Kelly said that the program helped expose 8,000 illegal weapons in 2011 and that it is â€Å"a life-saving measure. † Still, the program faces judgment from local politicians and organizations, such as the New York Civil Liberties Union, who strongly believe that is useless, except in its targeting of residents of â€Å"high-crime areas† and makes them feel like second-class citizens.