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Stop and Frisk Controversy

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Stop and Frisk Controversy
Connor Beale
English 7 Corruption

Imagine your walking down the street minding your own business and suddenly you have an officer waving a badge in your face. The officer begins to feel you up and grope you. Grabbing whatever is in your pocket and tossing it around without concern. Stop and frisk is the controversial policing tactic when street cops looking for weapons and drugs stop and pat down civilians at random. Since 1968 the stop and frisk law has resulted in sexual abuse and racial profiling.85% stopped are Black or Latino; out of everyone stopped 82% were innocent of any crime. For young African American men, the constant threat posed by stop and frisk is a concern when leaving the house, walking around the neighborhood, and going out with friends. If they fail to show identification, obey orders from police or respond as expected, they can be harassed, beaten or worse. The stop and frisk law has also became a sexual abuse issue. There have been tons of reports of inappropriate touching, sexual harassment, humiliation and violence at the hands of police officers. The effects of these abuses can be devastating and often leave behind emotional, psychological, and social problems. Young men have reported police officers forcing them to take there clothing off in public, groping there genitals and even “credit carding” in between there butt cheeks which is when you slide your hand through to check for drugs being held in the anus without wearing gloves. “they go hard, grabbing stuff they’re not supposed to” said a 17 year old named Garnell from the south Bronx. Even when the victims have told the officer directly that they cant do that or don’t touch there, they have said that they can do whatever they want, and have been arrested them for resisting arrest and even resulted in police brutality cases. The experience of being stopped and frisked by police often has an emotional impact on people. This can make people feel unsafe,

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