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City Comptroller and mayoral candidate John Liu put it perfectly today when he said, "[The Mayor's] presenting a false choice, that people either are safe, or people have rights." New Yorkers have a right to feel safe in their neighborhoods. They shouldn't fear criminals, nor should they fear racial profiling and mistreatment from those who are sworn to protect them.
Mayor Bloomberg launched into a spirited defense of the NYPD after meeting with top police brass today. Bloomberg said "the NYPD is under attack" by mayoral candidates who are "playing politics with public safety." He said those who want to reform Stop, Question and Frisk and create an Inspector General to oversee the department have no role in keeping New York City safe.
The 22-minute speech was described by the Associated Press as a "stepped-up, aggressive response to those who question whether the nation's largest police department has overstepped its bounds." Public Advocate and mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio called the speech "fear-mongering." What do you say?
Are criticisms of some of the NYPD tactics justified? Do you agree with Mayor Bloomberg that police are "under attack" by candidates looking to score political points? Do you want to see an Inspector General position created? Would you reform Stop, Question and Frisk?
Send your thoughts using the link above.
Like a kid mayor Bloomberg likes to throw a tantrum when you criticize anything his administration does, and in the case of stop and frisk there is plenty to criticize, most glaring is statistics that show the a high percentage of those stopped are Latino or Black who are eventually let go far lack of evidence, statistics also show that the policy does not reduce crime as much as it does in creating friction between communities of color and the police, further hampering crime fighting efforts.
Felix Bay Ridge
He's losing it and quickly because now this dictatorship that he has created is
slipping away and by no means am I in favor any of these so called wanna be
politicians.
The first phone call to you yesterday was i believe a council member. She and
all the others which also play the role of bobble head have no polish. This is
not a game. This is New York and we have had enough of all of these same old
faces and the new creations by this Quinn is a joke.
Quinn looks as though she has already taken over and these people are a
creation of what she has become. So here's where it gets this is when she start
to play the spiteful game of hers and holds back funds which are i might ad are
our hard earned tax payers money.
SOMEONE HAD BETTER REEL HER IN!
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT HAS SHE AND
ALL THE OTHERS ACCOMPLISHED IN THEIR 3RD TERMS.
YOU ALL ARE GETTING PAID AND YOU STILL HAVE A FEW
MONTHS TO GO BEFORE WE SAY SAYONARA!
maxxiee
mp
Amazing that Bloomberg is sticking up for the NYPD while he puts the NYC Teachers down every chance he gets.
However, the NYPD deserve all the praise available. They do a great job each and every day and risk their lives every time they walk out their front door. I believe the NYPD is doing well and there is no need for an Inspector General's position. Take that money and give the NYPD a new contract with a pay increase. Bloomberg's big on putting people at desks, doing nothing. That's true for every City department.
Jessica, Arden Heights, Staten Island
Fear mongering. All I heard is 9/11 and Boston. This is also to prop up Quinn. The whole thing was a shame.
Rich Midtown East
Criticism of some NYPD tactics are justifiable and the police are not under attack as mayoral candidates are telling the truth. NO we do not need an IG, just the discontinuance of stop question and frisk, a blatant form of racial profiling.
Joyce
Springfield Garden, NY
Criticisms of the police are justified. Criticisms of the Mayor are also justified.
Joe
Port Richmond, SI
I agree with the Mayor. Mayoral Candidates are using public safety as a stepping stone to office, unfortunately there is no middle of the road when it come to public safety. If stop and frisk goes away, who wins? But the bigger question is, who loses?
Roscoe
Park Hill
It can be fine-tuned but frankly although I'm pretty Liberal regarding civil liberties in an era of enemy Jihadist combatants who are Americans requiring they be Mirandised Im fine with stop and frisk. We live in a dangerous world and political correctness and terrorism are oxymoronic in many instances. Its good reality testing and sound Law enforcement.
JS
Flushing
I agree with the Mayoral Candidates, I would like to see an Inspector General overseeing the police. The police need some supervision because this "stop and frisk" have only served to harass minority citizens. They have become vigilantes and a lot of them make the streets unsafe.
Theresa
Upperwestside
It's called politics. Mr. Mayor can dish it out but can't take the heat. Who is the mayor intending to stop, question and frisk? Is he going to go to Times Square and frisk people who a police officer thinks is suspicious? Is he going to Madison Avenue? If not, he's saying terror suspects come from poor, minority communities.
Tony
The candidates are obviously playing to the minority vote and will change nothing once in office. Dirty politics rules yet another mayoral election.
Steve
Forest Hills
The mayor and rabid Doberman police commissioner Kelly think safety is paramount above individual civil rights and that we should genuflect at their feet. They need a IG to keep them in check and hold them accountable, and what nerve to lay ground work for the incoming mayor elect.
Joe
Middle Village
Statistics that something is effective is NEVER enough to justify bypassing Constitutional rights. If unwarranted invasions into people's homes, purely through a random selection process, resulted in the regular discovery of illegal drugs and firearms, would we suddenly conclude that such government action is justified? Absolutely not. But yet we are willing to entertain Commissioner Kelleys' recitation of stats to justify the use of stop and frisk? These decisions should be made purely on a case-by-case basis, and not intentionally practiced in one neighborhood or on one race over another.
Fabio
Harlem
THE MAJOR KNOWS SOME OF HIS POLICIES ARE COMING TO A END. GOOD RIDDANCE AND DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT.
PEDRO BRONX
Its great that the crime rate is low. But might that have something to do with the fact that NYC has about the highest living standard of any city in the world? Only wealthy people can afford to live here for the most part. And although these people commit plenty of crimes; they aren't the types of crimes which go into the stats they are referring to.
Daphne, Manhattan
THE WORLD BEING A DANGEROUS PLACE THERE WILL ALWAYS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BE A FORM OF SQ&F. ITS GONNA GET WORSE.
JIMMY. BRONX
Stop and Frisk needs to be stopped. I have seen the police strip search a young white man in the street for no reason, it was absolutely horrible. I can't imagine what minorities go through. I guess it's the same reason why some NYPD officers say that they need to meet a quota of traffic tickets. Nothing that Bloomberg does makes any sense.
Anna
The mayor is one to talk about any city agency under attack!! What about his all out attack on education, public school teachers and the children of NYC!! What about his attack against the FDNY?? Now he wants to blame others for using his tactics! Under attack - Mayor Bloomberg brought this nastiness to a higher level!
Elima
700,000 stops, vs. 800 weapons found. I think the numbers speak for themselves as to how ineffective this is in terms of resources and loss of freedom.
I suspect the number is very close to what would be achieved randomly and thus indicates this is not a worthwhile process as the police cannot articulate any genuine reason for most of the stops that could be considered as being derived from trained policing.
"The right of the People to be secure in their Persons..." is not just meaningless drivel.
When you fear to walk down a public street because of armed, dangerous people stopping you and demanding things of you for no real reason, it matters little if they are gang bangers,police or government officials, you are not secure.
One of the most basic freedoms is the right to simply be left alone.
Angel in Harlem
The stop and frisk policy is about as racist and denigrating and anything could get. How would Bloomberg like it if Jews were targeted for some sort of harassment because the "might be up to no good?"
Frances
East Village
That guy Richard that just called is a lying idiot. Of course now that NYPD stats don't support his viewpoints, he has black friends from the projects that hide guns from police. What a convenience!
Tiffany
the idea that blacks and latinos are more likely to commit crimes is an evil stereotype...stop and frisk should be tried in white neighborhoods lets c how long they could have gotten away with it
Nasrtaha
Of course these are unimpressive politicians trying to impress the minority communities that basically they will allowed to continue committing crimes. Until there family member is gunned downed and then they'll be singing a different tune.
This is a pathetic group of mayoral wannabees. I really think we are going to be in big trouble if any of them becomes our next mayor.
God Bless the NYPD.
kate
midtown east
I say stop all stop and frisk. Instead give harsh prison time when caught with a gun or for using a un. It's time to get rough with criminals
mnmnus
All of the people complaining about stop and frisk argue that only 10% result in arrests. Why isn't anyone talking about the 10% of murderers, rapists, bail jumpers, fugitives wanted in other jurisdictions and people with outstanding warrants that are taken off the street and compelled to face justice. Stop playing the race card. It's so old.
Eddie
Half a million unwarranted stops, militarized police patrolling with heavy weaponry, bag searches without probable cause at subway entrances, unlawful arrests and mass sweeps at political protests such as the RNC and Occupy-you live in a security state-a police state-with demagogues like Bloomberg the politics of the National Socialists live.
Carl
Soho
I can not believe that anyone would associate stop and frisk with probable cause. The police have always had the right to stop someone under probable cause, even enter your home. That law has been on the books for over 50 years. Stop and frisk serves only one purpose, Minorities are targeted. It servers no purpose except to build hostility against the public towards the police. If this was the Mayors children being harassed, he would have got rid of it himself a long time ago. But as we all know he would not allow that in his neighborhood.
Raheem from Jamaica Queens
In Bloomberg's NY, stop and frisk is just a euphemism for racial profiling. However, this policy works because young black and hispanic men commit most of the street crime.
Steve
College Point
Rudy G. was considered tough on crime, but the NYPD only stopped 100,000 a year versus Mike's 700,000 a year! This is why the NYPD is being criticized. It is the Mayor's fault for giving Kelly Carte Blance, and the cops are paying for it.
Mario
Chelsea
I don't get it. I am black, and I see how the youth act. They are animals. I have no problem with stop n frisk. The blacks and Hispanic commit most of the gun crimes in Ny.
I am so tired or The blacks and Hispanic crying wolf(color).
Naqam
Is stop and frisk racial profiling and a form of discrimination -- there seems to be two sides to this story and a matter of opinion. However it is quite telling that the vast majority of stop & frisks are of Hispanics and Black men. But Mayor Bloomberg 's claim that he never plays politics with peoples' lives is outrageous. Is he not the one who plays politics with the lives of children in NYC with his educational policies? Is he not the one who is plays politics when he opens charter schools and closes public schools over the massive cries of parents and children? And now does it not appear that he is playing politics with the lives of New Yorkers by outwardly criticizing Ms. Quinn through the front door but politically supporting her through the back door?
Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg is correct that Stop & Frisk policy is the first line of defense against crime in New York City and maybe the NYPD is not racial profiling. But one thing is for sure Mayor Bloomberg is undoubtedly the Master of the Masquerade.
Lisa
Upper east side
It was embarrassing to witness Bloomberg's rant about the virtue of civil right's violations by the NYPD. Even the audience of NYPD personnel gave a tepid applause. It was hard to watch, the feeble rationale with ringing racist undertones.
k
harlem
Nearly 90% of stops lead to no arrest or summons.
Less than 1% result in the recovery of a gun/weapon.
John indicated that the 90% number had to with not finding a weapon. The weapon failure rate is actually approximately 99%; the arrest/summons failure rate is nearly 90%.
Mandela
Downtown Brooklyn
Its funny how most of the people in favor of stop and frisk, live affluent neighborhoods and are white..smh
Kyle from East Harlem
Source: http://www.ny1.com/content/the_call/the_call_blog/181293/the-call-blog--mayor-bloomberg-says-nypd-is--under-attack--by-critics
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