The video I will be reflecting upon is about the NYPD frisk policy and the controversy with the racial profiling that it has forced officers to use. To understand this through a sociological perspective I will reflect upon how I think a functionalist, conflict theorist, and social interactionist would view this video. Looking at the perspectives of Functionalist I believe that these individuals would say that perceptions may define how we see people as deviant or not. Some may arguably say that certain individuals look like they fit the structural strain theory compared to others. As for a conflict theorist they would argue that officers with higher power have social control over these individuals that they are frisking. This means that officers…
Although the stop-and-frisk may seem like a great procedure and that it may keep the streets safer, there are downfalls to it. The policy was created to keep guns off the street and drop crime rates throughout the cities; however it has often been rumored to be unreasonably racist, and target only the minorities. Furthermore, saying it has made streets safer is debatable, and if it has is it at the expense of another person’s rights? According to NYPD data reports in 2011 684,330 stops were conducted in New York, which is an increase by 524,873 since the year 2003 and they have only found an addition 176 guns per year. With those numbers, one would hope that the number of additional weapons obtained would be significantly higher.…
“Stop, question, and frisk” is a controversial practice that was used by the New York City Police Department, where a police officer would stop any person acting suspicious, the police officer would question them and if they felt that it rose to the level of reasonable suspicion; they would frisk them for weapons and other contraband. In other states it is known as the Terry stop. Stop-and-frisk was a useful tactic for the NYPD because statistics show that violent crime dropped while this procedure was in place.…
The “stop and frisk” or “Terry frisk” law is one of the most controversial laws in America. The law came about via a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court which held that the Fourth Amendment is not violated when a police officer stops a suspect on the street and frisks him or her without probable cause to arrest. This only holds if the police officer has a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime and has a reasonable belief that the suspect maybe presently armed and or dangerous. The coming about of this law all started with a concealed weapons arrest in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1960’s.…
Sometimes I feel as though some officers take it for far and do things that they shouldn't. If someone knows what's wrong and right they would know better than to go out and do something dumb. I feel as though the stop and frisk is something can be helpful to people everywhere. If someone knows they aren't doing anything wrong or have any weapons on them then there should not be a problem. They should go along with the officer and do whatever is asked and there will not be a problem. It becomes a problem when people do not cooperate and want to start fighting back. Officers are just trying to do their job and protect everyone. Sometimes they can be wrong about who they stop but at least know that person knows what they were doing is suspicious and not good to do around. The case took long to process because it was hard trying to figure out if the officer had the right to seize the weapon. In order to search someone you have to have probable cause. The court then denied the motion to suppress and Terry and Chilton pleaded not guilty. The judge then determined that they were…
I am aware that here in New York we are surrounded by all types of people and of all cultures and races but why if this is so and we have our Constitution as it is written do we have to deal with this Stop and Frisk situation. I believe this is an invasion of space and privacy and that this violates our rights as citizens of this country. The Stop and frisk program is being done by the New York Police Department. They are stopping thousands of people and are searching for contraband and weapons.…
These practices prompted angry reactions among minority citizens that widened the breach between different racial/ethnic groups in their trust in the police (Lundman and Kaufman 2003; Tyler and Huo 2003;Weitzer and Tuch 2002), provoking a crisis of legitimacy with legal, moral, and political dimensions (see Wang 2001; Russell 2002; Harris 2002). In an era of declining crime rates, policy debates on policing strategies often pivot on the evaluation of New York City’s policing strategy during the 1990s, a strategy involving aggressive stops and searches of pedestrians for a wide range of crimes (Eck and Maguire 2000; Skogan and Frydl 2004). The policy was based on the lawful practice of “temporarily detaining, questioning, and, at times, searching civilians on the street” (Spitzer 1999). The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled police stopand- frisk procedures to be constitutional under certain restrictions (Terry v. Ohio 1968).…
A police officer who reasonably suspects a person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a felony, stops and questions that person. If the officer feels the suspects he or she is in danger of physical injury. I personally disagree with “Stop and Frisk” because of the way how the cops approach a person and assume who is a danger to others and to themselves. Stop and Frisk is one of the biggest issue for New Yorkers because it has increased so much, which was also bringing up a lot of controversial issue. For example, racial issues, cops abusing their authority, and…
The United States Department of Justice requires that “…federal law enforcement personnel must use every legitimate tool to prevent future attacks, protect our Nation’s borders, and deter those who would cause devastating harm to our nation and its people…” (“Should Racial”). One of these tools in police work includes racial profiling, which helps to protect and prevent crime in our nation. It is logical to agree that “If an officer sees someone acting in a manner that suggests a crime is afoot; he or she has an obligation to stop and question that person” (Bloomberg). Preventing crime is a police officer’s job, which is why the nation uses this strategy. They are here to keep the nation’s citizens safe. “Without the use of profiling and FBI informants, they would have never succeeded” (“Should Racial”) in their attack on the United States. Racial profiling by law enforcement is strictly for the benefit of society so that they can effectively protect and provide security. The nation’s citizens need to understand that without measures like racial profiling, people are not going to be…
In an effort to maximize an individuals rights during search and seizures along with stop-and-frisks, the United States government has developed numerous laws and amendments. The Fourth Amendment states, The right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched , and the persons or things to be seized (U.S. Constitution). This amendment was first used in the court system in the case of Terry vs. Ohio (1968). This case was the case that shaped the stop-and-frisk laws that are found in our country today. In 1942 legislators started to authorize stops-and-frisks on less than probable cause under the Uniform Arrest Act. This act gave an officer the right stop a person in public based upon reasonable ground to suspect that the person is committing has committed, or is about to commit a crime, and then search him for a dangerous weapon if the officer has reasonable ground to believe that he is in danger (Whitebread, 2000). In 1968 the Supreme Court addressed the issue in terry v. ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S. Ct. 1868, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889. In Terry an experienced plainclothes officer observed three men acting suspiciously; they were walking back and forth on a street and peering into a particular store window. The officer concluded that the men were preparing to rob a nearby store and approached them. He identified himself as a police officer and asked for their names. Unsatisfied with their responses, he then subjected one of the men to a frisk, which produced a gun for which the suspect…
Racial profiling is a very widespread topic. Racial profiling is beginning to spread across the United States and many other countries as if a fire spread in a forest. It is important for us to understand that racial profiling is impractical and hurtful to the persons targeted. It is also important for people to recognize that racial profiling puts fear into people’s hearts and that can have an emotional impact on the way people think, act and even their character. Racial Profiling should be a exercise that should be ended in all places including the court system and law enforcement. One can come up with several illustrations declaring its advantages and disadvantages. Although racial profiling can be useful in certain cases it is incorrect…
Police Officers work for many hours and most of those hours are stopping people on the street to see what they carry. Stop and frisk is “One of the most controversial police procedures is the stop and frisk search. This type of limited search occurs when police confront a suspicious person in an effort to prevent a crime from taking place. The police frisk (pat down) the person for weapons and question the person,” (Farlex, 2008, pg. 1). How stop and frisk became the system used by police officers was…
Some people believe that the Stop-and-Frisk Program helps catch potential criminals and reduce crime in New York City. Stop-and-Frisk allows officers in New York City to stop individuals based on reasonable suspicion and search them for any possible illegal contraband. However, many of these searches are often unsuccessful in stopping crime. The practice of stop and frisk by the New York Police Department(NYPD) has not been effectively utilized and raise serious concerns. It is a process that should be discontinued in New York City because of how intrusive it is to the lives of citizens. There are three reasons why the practice of stop and frisk should be discontinued in New York City: racial profiling of minorities; illegal stopping of bystanders;…
It doesn’t help that the media is displaying cops harassing people and causing people to die because of trying to hard to stop & frisk them. There needs to be a healthy balance and train the officers to better handle certain stop & frisk situations. Furthermore, the community needs to be a bit more understand and it is hard because of awful the media portrays this procedure, but they need to do some research and put themselves in the cops’ shoes to see how they would handle…
Racial Profiling Racial profiling is one of the most controversial and complex issue facing multicultural countries like Canada and the United States. It is an issue that elicits emotional debate and division within all segments of the society. This is due to the perceived discrimination that occurs based on people’s racial and ethnic composition or color.…