NYPD Frisked Blacks at 5 Times Rate of Whites

[RightinNYC]

New York Daily News - Home - NYPD frisked blacks at 5 times rate of whites

The NYPD conducted more than 500,000 stop-and-frisks last year, with blacks five times more likely to be searched than whites, according to statistics released yesterday.

Blacks accounted for 52% of the 508,540 individuals stopped and checked last year, according to data released by the City Council's Public Safety Committee.

That percentage has changed little in nearly a decade - it was 50% in 2000 and 52% in 1998.

But the total number of frisks soared from the 97,296 conducted in 2002.

Among the top reasons cops gave for stopping an individual were that the suspect was in a high crime area or had made "furtive movements," according to the statistics.

Hispanics accounted for 29% of the searches last year and whites 10%, the data showed.

Critics long have argued the NYPD engages in racial profiling by concentrating on blacks and Hispanics for stop-and-frisks.

The half-million searches resulted in 21,269 arrests. Black suspects accounted for 51% of those charged, Hispanics 30% and whites 12%.

Police brass have countered that cops stop suspects based on crime victims' descriptions.

So on paper, that sounds bad at first. 5 times as much? But then when you look at the actual arrest figures, it becomes clear that in relation to arrests, whites are being searched disproportionately more than either blacks or hispanics.

Thoughts?