“Stop-and-Frisk” Policing in New York City: An historical evaluation of the controversial policy

Abstract

Known today as the New York Police Department’s infamous Stop-and-Frisk Policy, this controversial form of policing has been ever prevalent and often reformed in the criminal justice system of America for decades. According to the NCJRS 1969 Criminal Procedure Manual below, the “Stop-and-Frisk” policy allows police officers to stop, interrogate and search New Yorkers “when an officer has probable cause, with or without a warrant.” Officers use this policing tactic as a way in which they question and search people they think have committed a crime or are planning to commit one. Overwhelming evidence compiled through decades of Supreme Court rulings, data collection, and task force initiatives suggests that the Stop-and-Frisk policy is used as a method of racial profiling, specifically for the harassment of Black and Latino citizens. Through violations of the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, the sparking of a nationwide debate, and a plea for reform, the following policy assessment will evaluate the tactics, violations, and consequential impacts this controversial policy has had on the state of New York throughout the decades.