New YorkNew Yorkstop and frisk rulingStop And Frisk

Bloomberg Decries 'Dangerous' Stop-And-Frisk Ruling, Promises Appeal

Bloomberg To Appeal Stop-And-Frisk Decision
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Senior Reporter, HuffPost

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday he plans to appeal a landmark ruling that the NYPD's stop-and-frisk tactic has violated the rights of thousands of New Yorkers, warning that if the ruling were to stand, New York City could see more gun violence.

Bloomberg pointed to the city's plummeting murder rate, which he attributes largely to the policing tactic, and repeated the claim that New York is now "the safest big city in America." He said Judge Shira Scheindlin's 195-page decision -- which calls for a federal monitor to oversee the police department, citing thousands of unconstitutional police stops of New Yorkers -- "makes our city a more dangerous place."

"It's a dangerous decision made by a judge who doesn't understand how policing works," he said at a packed press conference held hours after Scheindlin handed down her ruling, during which he often grew irritable over reporters' questions. Bloomberg argued that stop and frisk acts as a "vital deterrent" against young men carrying guns on the street.

New York City cops "follow the law," he added, brushing off accusations that the police force engages in unconstitutional stops or routinely racially profiles New Yorkers. He said that police have focused their efforts to protect minorities, who are disproportionately the victims of crime.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly also called accusations of racial profiling "recklessly untrue," noting that his department is "the most racially and ethnically diverse police department in the world."

The NYPD made 533,042 stops last year, 87 percent of which were of blacks and Latinos.

"The city's highest officials have turned a blind eye to the evidence that officers are conducting stops in a racially discriminatory manner," Scheindlin wrote in her ruling in the historic class-action lawsuit, Floyd v. City of New York. "In their zeal to defend a policy that they believe to be effective, they have willfully ignored overwhelming proof that the policy of targeting 'the right people' is racially discriminatory."

New York City Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo, also present at Monday's presser, said the city will appeal the decision to the Second Circuit Court after the newly assigned federal monitor, Peter Zimroth, issues his first order to the NYPD.

"No federal judge has ever imposed a monitor over a police department after a civil lawsuit," Bloomberg said Monday.

The City Council passed two bills earlier this summer targeting the NYPD's use of stop and frisk. One bill set up the the office of the inspector general, which would act as a watchdog over the department. The other bill makes it easier for New Yorkers to sue if they've been racially profiled.

Bloomberg vetoed both bills, but the City Council is expected to override the vetoes later this month.

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Before You Go

NYC Mayoral Candidates React To Stop And Frisk Decision
Anthony Weiner(01 of06)
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"This decision sadly confirms what was profoundly obvious. When the police stop tens of thousands of citizens who have done nothing wrong - the overwhelming number being young men of color - basic civil rights are being violated. The policy of using stop and frisk as a deterrent rather than a tool for the pursuit of actual criminals has to change. I would hope that the court considers withholding judgment on the need for a federal monitor until after a new mayor and police commissioner are in place in January.""Last week, I laid out a plan for correcting the abuses of stop and frisk. We must include invalid stops in regular CompStat reports. We should outfit police officers with lapel cameras to record interactions. And we should adopt a policy of focused deterrence that works to target known criminals rather than whole communities.""This is a teachable moment for our city. We must relearn the most basic of edicts of American life. We do not need to sacrifice our civil rights to live in a safe city. You can reduce crime while increasing respect." (credit:AP)
Bill Thompson(02 of06)
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"As I have said, the present stop and frisk policy violates the constitutional rights of all New Yorkers, but especially innocent blacks and Latinos. Instead of treating our police and people with respect, the Mayor and Commissioner Kelly have imposed what are effectively quotas on the police and treated entire minority communities with suspicion."I want to thank the men and women who came forward to testify to ensure everyone's constitutional rights are preserved. I want them - and all New Yorkers - to know that I will protect our streets and protect the rights of our people. I will uphold the law and work with the Federal monitor to make sure New Yorkers never have to choose between their constitutional rights and their safety. I will ensure the court's decision fulfills its objective - a New York where everyone is protected by the law." (credit:AP)
Bill de Blasio(03 of06)
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"The courts have just affirmed facts that too many New Yorkers know to be true: under the Bloomberg Administration, with the acquiescence of Speaker Quinn, millions of innocent New Yorkers — overwhelmingly young men of color — have been illegally stopped. The overuse and misuse of stop-and-frisk hasn't made New York a safer city, it has only servedto drive police and community further apart. The only way to end theabuse of stop-and-frisk in New York City is with real reform, and I am the only candidate committed to enacting the changes we urgently need. We must override Mayor Bloomberg’s vetoes of legislation to ban racial profiling and to create an independent inspector general forthe NYPD." (credit:AP)
Christine Quinn(04 of06)
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“Today’s court ruling affirms what we have known for some time, too many young men of color are being stopped in the streets of New York in an unconstitutional manner and that must stop. At the height of this program, some 700,000 New Yorkers have been stopped with the overwhelming number resulting in no arrest or seizing of contraband, that’s why the City needs —and I passed —and Inspector General for the NYPD. The NYPD Inspector General will help review and provide guidance to ensure that stop and frisk is done in a constitutionally sound manner that focuses on the quality of the stops, not the quantity. And as mayor, I intend to work with the federal monitor to help ensurethese stops come down dramatically so that we can build stronger relationships between our communities of color and our police force. ” (credit:AP)
John Liu(05 of06)
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“Today’s ruling by Judge Scheindlin declaring that police haveoverstepped their authority highlights the enormous flaws in the NYPD’s ‘stop and frisk’ tactic, which has served to undermine trust between communities and law enforcement. The judge’s call for reforms must be heeded, and – longer term – the tactic should be abolished. It’s time to put an end to stop and frisk once and for all.” (credit:AP)
Sal Albanese(06 of06)
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"Today, the courts upheld what any reasonable New Yorker has known since day one: Stop and frisk is a legal police tool that keeps our city safe when it is used properly. There was never any doubt that the city was casting too wide of a net and focusing on quantity rather than quality when numbers peaked in 2011. Since then, the NYPD has moved in the right direction by training officers better and reducing unnecessary stops. This ruling will accelerate that process.Don't let my opponents fool you: today's ruling does not close the book on this issue. Despite appointing a federal monitor, Judge Scheindlin didn't embrace the reckless proposals of my opponents. She didn't call to abolish stop and frisk as John Liu had hoped. She didn't call for the city to waste money on a toothless inspector general as Bill de Blasio and Christine Quinn would like. She didn't compare police officers to vigilantes, like Bill Thompson did, or to Nazis, like Anthony Weiner did.Despite these facts, I'm sure they will each use this ruling to stir up voters and fan flames against our rank-and-file officers. After all, they've been unwilling to express even a modicum of support for our officers.But the vast majority of New Yorkers won't be fooled. Unlike my opponents, they exercise basic common sense. They know that the NYPD has made us safer than ever. They know we need more officers on patrol to keep it that way. Most importantly, they know that there is only one Democrat who they can trust to stand up for our officers rather than kick them around like a political football." (credit:Facebook)
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