Tatyana Reynolds
SOC 324
Formal paper
November 16th, 2018
Option 1- Research paper- Racial profiling Stop and frisk
In this research paper I will be discussing the numerous ways racial profiling stop and frisking is viewed, done wrongly, or represented in a negative way. The issue with racial profiling stop and frisking has changed over the years and I’m going to talk about how it has changed and in what ways has racial profiling has been changed. The theory is Police officers has abused the stop and frisk laws and not following their prodo call. Also, the background and history of racial profiling stop and frisking will be discussed along with the positives and negatives that comes with stopping and frisking. A continuity argument to see both the positives and negatives about racial profiling stop and frisking.
The word racial profiling Is the race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense. Stop and frisk is when police temporarily detain somebody and pat down their outer clothing when there are specific articulable facts leading a reasonable police officer to believe a person is armed and dangerous. The word "frisk" by definition is a type of search that requires a lawful stop. It is best thought of as a separate act, but in practice, a suspect who refuses to answer questions in a stop may be providing the officer with sufficient justification to frisk. A frisk should not be for anything other than a dangerous weapon or contraband. However, if other evidence, like a suspected drug container, is felt, it can be seized by the officer under the "plain feel" doctrine. The test for plain feel is that the item's contraband nature be "immediately apparent". “According to a report from Public Advocare’s office, 532,911 stops were conducted in 2012, down from 685,724 in 2011. The majority of those stops were blacks (African Americans) and Hispanic people”. African Americans get stopped by race 53% of the time, they have a larger rate of getting stopped verses Hispanic, whites, and other. In 2002 there where 97,296 stops were conducted that’s less than a fifth of the number of stops that was conducted in 2012.
This issues with stop and frisk are that some police officers over steps their boundaries and use weapons or deadly force when not needed when doing a stop and frisk. Police officers racial profile people but 87% of people who get stop and frisk are blacks and Latino’s and there mostly younger looking men, they seem to say that younger men are likely to look like they’re going to get into some trouble. Other issues are the arrests, abuses, and brutality from civilians even requesting the reason for police stopping them in the first place.
The positive side about stop and frisk is when police officers actually do they job the right way and follow all procedures more citizens feel safer and are able to be more comfortable when it comes to police officers stopping and frisking throughout there shift. The proper guidance and discretion are necessary to prevent harassment that many come from exceptional power. The incidents can be generated of complaints against them, with additional analysis should indicate if an officer is stopping citizens with the right cause. If the officer does not handle the “stop and frisk” with proper Prodo call, they should be disciplined or if not suspended. Police departments targets areas with a high crime rate with the date based shown of the high crimes rates. When police "stop and frisk" in areas occupied by minorities, it is no surprise that they net mostly minorities. It is unfair to charge "racial profiling" based on these criteria. I am guessing that most minority residents are happy for a police presence and would be willing to go along with any efforts aimed at curtailing violent crime spiraling out of control.
The negatives sides of stop and frisking is there are many people that get hurt when this is happened to them because police officers are not using the right procedures when handling a stop and frisk. For example, “the NYCLU reports that one black precinct in Staten Island reported 721 stop and frisk encounters — and that was just in the first quarter of 2014. For the sake of comparison, the precinct that includes NYU and The New School came in with an underwhelming 30 stops in the same time period. These numbers reflect the systematic bias that results in atrocities like the murder of 43-year-old father-of-six Eric Garner, who was put in a chokehold and subsequently killed by police officers in Staten Island last summer. No charges have been pressed against his killers”.
In conclusion racial profiling stop and frisk and as a negative and positive impact view that police officers give off to people when handling stops and frisks. Most people didn’t know younger men that are black and latinos are the ones to get easily target because of their race and appearance. In overall stating police officers in the year of 2002 and 2012 did a lot of stop and frisks along with racial profiling just because of the area they were in had a high crime rate.
Reference page
NYU Local, and NYU. “Study Reveals Stop And Frisk Has Negative Consequences, Unsurprisingly.” NYU Local, NYU Local, 27 Oct. 2014, nyulocal.com/study-reveals-stop-and-frisk-has-negative-consequences-unsurprisingly-59d7b719124c.
“Positive Results of 'Stop and Frisk' Can't Be Ignored.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2013/09/02/Positive-results-of-stop-and-frisk-can-t-be-ignored/stories/201309020137.
“The Issue.” The Community Safety Act | Communities United for Police Reform, www.changethenypd.org/issue.
