By Stephanie Whiteside / current.com
The New York Police Department has announced changes to its controversial stop-and-frisk policy after a federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit brought by people who had been stopped. The police commissioner announced that the NYPD would be changing training and supervision to address concerns about racial profiling and illegal stops.
The policy has allowed NYPD officers to stop, question and frisk "suspicious" individuals on the street or even in private apartment buildings. The program led to more than 600,000 stops a year, and the majority of those stopped were black or Latino.
"Vanguard" correspondent Christof Putzel hit the streets with underground videographer NYC Resistance, who films stop-and-frisk searches performed by the NYPD.
But are the stops legal? A U.S. District Judge found there was "overwhelming evidence" that the policy has lead to illegal stops.
In "The War on Weed," Putzel also spoke with a legal-aid lawyer who handles stop-and-frisk cases and said she has seen more bad searches than ever before.
"The War on Weed" will air Sunday night at 9e/6p on Current TV.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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CCCV2009
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As a former police officer and federal law enforcement agent, I would say its not legal. I teach pre-law and ethics at a major university, I have 29 years of this subject. We are kind of letting our basic rights go away since Bush/Cheney. It's not just NYC doing borderline justice.
- 12 months ago
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CCCV2009
