In America, police targeting black people for excessive and unwarranted search and seizure is a practice older than the Republic itself. Ethnicity and stop and frisk laws have called for the attention of the courts to determine whether it is an abuse of power and whether minorities are the majority when pertaining to stop and frisk laws. This research will focus on the effects ethnicity has on stop and frisks laws. Ethnicity and Stop and Frisk laws have become a topic of concern because it questions the constitutional right of the fourth amendment. Police Officers are said to abuse power given their authority to stop and frisk a person under the “reasonable suspicion” clause of the fourth amendment. This research will argue that reasonable suspicion is subject to personal interpretation of police officers and perjury may be involved. With that being said minorities of Black and Hispanic backgrounds are the targeted population for this course of action. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is charged with keeping the public safe by responding to more than 100,000 emergency service (911) calls per year. In addition to responding to 911 calls, the NYPD also conduct patrols by foot and car to ensure the public’s safety. Keeping New York City (NYC) safe is a vital mission of the NYPD. Most residents that reside in NYC appreciate the efforts of the NYPD in keeping their neighborhoods safe; however in conjunction with safety the residents of NYC should trust the police that patrol their neighborhoods. This trust is called into question regarding the highly debated stop and frisk program conducted by the NYPD. Throughout the years there has been expressions of contentment and uneasiness regarding the stop and frisk program. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg along with the NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly—and some residents of NYC—fully support the stop and frisk program and agree that it is an effective crime fighting tool and deterrent, while many
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