Law enforcement is a necessary evil. Police officers afford Americans the privilege to prosper without the burden of violence. However, over the course of our history, the people we once hired to protect us have became the people we fear. Much of this problem has to do with a negative reputation in the media, such as the recent Eric Garner and Michael Brown stories, but this deep rooted mistrust spurs beyond that. Innately racist laws, like stop-and-frisk, cause people to loose faith in law enforcement. These feelings of mistrust, which plague the police department, have developed into an issue that divides our nation. We have turned into a society that treats law enforcement as the enemy. In doing so we are hindering the police from completing the job we need them to — maintaining the laws and morals of our community.
Stop-and-Frisk, as previously mentioned, has raised concern about privacy and racial profiling. Originally created with good intention, the law looked to stop individuals deemed suspicious in an attempt to reduce crime. In actuality, the subjective nature of the law has lead to racial profiling. Among the people stopped, a vast majority (almost ninety percent) were Latino and African American. What’s more, 88 percent of all stops were innocent. Research has shown that crime rates have not dropped as a result of Stop-and Frisk. The laws shortcomings are evident when one considers the small number of arrests, summonses, and guns recovered. Many in support of stop-and-frisk believed gun recovery would reduce crime and murders; however, guns are found in less than .2 percent of stops. Despite these statistics, stop-and-frisk was increased 600 percent under Mayor Bloomberg. Stop-and-Frisk has only managed to drive a deeper wedge between citizens and law enforcement, adding to the over arching issue of mistrust.
Police quotas are “productivity goals” required of law enforcement with regards to speeding tickets, summonses, and arrests. While the police department denies the existence of such quotas, some have stepped forward and admitted that low productivity equals low performance ratings. Quotas put pressure on police to write tickets and search individuals with little suspicion. Law enforcement, ideally, is around to ensure all citizens abide by the law, only punishing those who break the rules; however, the existence of quotas has created a nation of suspects. In the eye of the public, ticket quotas are counterproductive since they open doors for potential racism. In 2014 of the high volume of misdemeanors, 86 percent were charged to people of color. Many of the charges are dismissed in court since they pose no real risk to the community. Examples include: sitting on a park bench, begging, walking between subway cars, or jaywalking.
Sources:
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/how-did-we-get-here-look-police-distrust-america
http://www.nyclu.org/issues/racial-justice/stop-and-frisk-practices
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/13/nypd-stop-and-frisks-15-shocking-facts_n_1513362.
html http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/nyregion/20police.html?_r=0
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/11/more_fines_more_respect_says_p
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/nypd-quotas_n_5916596.html
You have raised some important points. The issues you selected – that is, Stop-and-Frisk and Police quotas – are clear indications of a problem that needs solving. The underlying problem in Stop-and-Frisk is racial profiling and the underlying problem in police quotas is undesirable incentives. Changing the way by which police are evaluated can solve the second problem. The challenge of Stop-and-Frisk seems to be that it is not intended for racial profiling but the police departments conduct racial profiling anyways. So, is there a way to restrain such profiling? Is there an alternative to stop and frisk to accomplish the intended goals? Is there a way to gain effective oversight and policing of the police?
I found it interesting that you described law enforcement as a “necessary evil.” This really reflects the relationship communities have with law enforcement, who are seen as something outside the community. Stop and frisk practices may have contributed to this perception and I agree that it is a problem that should be dealt with. However, we should now consider what would be the best solution. Would it be more beneficial to find a way in which police officers are forced to be more impartial when choosing subjects for stop and frisk or is it better to completely abolish the practice? You pointed out that 88 percent of the people stopped are innocent. If we used different methods could this number go up? Is the 12 percent who were found guilty worth the inconvenience caused to the innocent? Has stop and frisk discouraged people from carrying incriminating objects in general? These are all question which I believe need to be addressed.
The Stop-and-Frisk issue definitely affects many New Yorkers, and seems to primarily target minorities. I agree that the activity only succeeds in increasing tensions between the police and the public, especially with the recent events of police brutality. There is already a distrust of the police, and no one likes to have their personal items rifled through by strangers. However, it seems that the police department is attempting to lessen the number of Stop-and-Frisk stations. I recently came across a New York Times article (listed below) claiming that it is becoming much less prevalent in New York. Commuting to school in Harlem by train and with the context of this article, I now realize that there really has been a decrease of these stations in underground train stations in the past year. According to the article, there were 337,410 stops in the first half of 2012 compared to 33,699 stops in the last half of 2013. Many people believe that without this practice, violent crime will go up, but I don’t believe that is necessarily true. Someone who is carrying a gun or drugs on their person will have it on them whether or not they are worried about being stopped and forced to empty their pockets.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/19/nyregion/stop-and-frisk-is-all-but-gone-from-new-york.html?_r=0