Racial Disparities in Traffic Stops: NYPD's "Stop-and-Frisk on Wheels"
A new lawsuit has accused the New York City Police Department (NYPD) of perpetuating racial disparities in traffic stops, claiming that Black and Latino drivers are being targeted for searches without a legitimate reason. The complaint alleges that the NYPD has more than doubled its vehicle searches under Mayor Eric Adams' term, with Black and Latino motorists making up an overwhelming 84% of those searched.
The disparity is staggering, with white motorists accounting for less than 4%. The lawsuit also claims that only a small percentage of searches result in charges being filed. Senior counsel for criminal justice litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Daniel Lambright, likened this practice to "stop and frisk on wheels," a reference to the NYPD's discredited policy of stopping, frisking, and questioning mostly Black and Latino pedestrians without justification.
"We call upon Mayor Adams to end this racist and shameful NYPD practice. The NYPD cannot treat our city like a constitution-free zone where Black and brown New Yorkers' rights don't matter," Lambright said in a statement.
The lawsuit cites data showing that the NYPD sends more officers to areas with high crime rates, resulting in more stops. However, the vast majority of searches do not result in an arrest for criminal possession of a weapon, with over 96% of searches yielding no arrests.
This practice is eerily reminiscent of the infamous "stop and frisk" policy that was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2013. The ruling noted that nearly 4.5 million stops between 2004 and mid-2012 resulted in only 6% of stops resulting in an arrest, with no weapons found in 91% of those cases.
While the NYPD claims that its vehicle searches are aimed at confiscating illegal firearms, the lawsuit argues that this excuse is not supported by the data. The plaintiffs, including two Black New Yorkers whose vehicles were searched without cause, demand an end to the allegedly unlawful conduct and seek money damages and attorney fees.
The case highlights the ongoing struggle for racial justice in policing, with advocates arguing that these practices perpetuate systemic racism and undermine the rights of marginalized communities. As one civil liberties group put it, "stop and frisk has not disappeared; it's simply shifted."
A new lawsuit has accused the New York City Police Department (NYPD) of perpetuating racial disparities in traffic stops, claiming that Black and Latino drivers are being targeted for searches without a legitimate reason. The complaint alleges that the NYPD has more than doubled its vehicle searches under Mayor Eric Adams' term, with Black and Latino motorists making up an overwhelming 84% of those searched.
The disparity is staggering, with white motorists accounting for less than 4%. The lawsuit also claims that only a small percentage of searches result in charges being filed. Senior counsel for criminal justice litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Daniel Lambright, likened this practice to "stop and frisk on wheels," a reference to the NYPD's discredited policy of stopping, frisking, and questioning mostly Black and Latino pedestrians without justification.
"We call upon Mayor Adams to end this racist and shameful NYPD practice. The NYPD cannot treat our city like a constitution-free zone where Black and brown New Yorkers' rights don't matter," Lambright said in a statement.
The lawsuit cites data showing that the NYPD sends more officers to areas with high crime rates, resulting in more stops. However, the vast majority of searches do not result in an arrest for criminal possession of a weapon, with over 96% of searches yielding no arrests.
This practice is eerily reminiscent of the infamous "stop and frisk" policy that was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2013. The ruling noted that nearly 4.5 million stops between 2004 and mid-2012 resulted in only 6% of stops resulting in an arrest, with no weapons found in 91% of those cases.
While the NYPD claims that its vehicle searches are aimed at confiscating illegal firearms, the lawsuit argues that this excuse is not supported by the data. The plaintiffs, including two Black New Yorkers whose vehicles were searched without cause, demand an end to the allegedly unlawful conduct and seek money damages and attorney fees.
The case highlights the ongoing struggle for racial justice in policing, with advocates arguing that these practices perpetuate systemic racism and undermine the rights of marginalized communities. As one civil liberties group put it, "stop and frisk has not disappeared; it's simply shifted."
. The NYPD's "stop-and-frisk on wheels" policy is a clear case of racial profiling, and it's not just about Black and Latino drivers being targeted - it's about the systemic racism that goes into these unfair searches. I mean, 84% of those searched are from Black or Latino communities? That's insane 
. Mayor Adams needs to take action and end this practice ASAP. It's time for real change 
they're searchin black & latino drivers like they're goin straight to jail for no reason at all! 84% of those searched are from these communities and white people are like, super rare in the mix 
. The fact that they're doubling down on vehicle searches with no legit reason is wild. I mean, what's next? Stop-and-frisk for pedestrians with self-driving cars? 
It's like they think we're all just one wrong move away from being convicted felons. And don't even get me started on the stats - 84% of Black and Latino drivers are getting searched, while white folks barely even get a sniff from these "law enforcement" guys. It's like they're trying to keep an eye on us all with these "vehicle searches". Give me a break! 
is this real life?! I mean like, come on NYPD! Can't you just treat everyone equally no matter what color their skin is? 
The stats are wild though 84% of Black and Latino drivers getting searched without reason is a total travesty. And what's with the "confiscating illegal firearms" excuse if it's not supported by the data? 
Like, how many times can you try to spin this before it becomes clear that there's no good reason for these stops?
It seems like some things never change. I mean, I get that crime rates are a thing and all, but does that mean we have to sacrifice our civil liberties for it?
Can't wait to see how this plays out.
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this is crazy, black and latino drivers are being targeted like crazy for no reason, i feel so bad for those two ppl who were searched without cause, its just not right. the NYPD needs to be more transparent about why they're doing these searches and how often they actually find anything illegal 
. And don't even get me started on how rare it is for charges to be filed - only like 4% of searches result in actual arrests 
. It feels like we're still living in the shadow of "stop and frisk" days, but now it's happening with cars instead 
. It's time for our leaders to take responsibility for making sure everyone on these streets is treated equally 
. And I gotta say, that lawyer from NYCLU is spot on about how this feels like a racist and shameful practice 
. The stats don't lie - this practice is a blatant disregard for the rights and safety of marginalized communities 
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. The fact that we're still seeing echoes of the infamous "stop and frisk" policy from 2013 is a stark reminder of how far we still have to go in our pursuit of racial justice 
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. It's time for Mayor Adams to take action and address these systemic issues once and for all 
. I mean, 84% of those searched are from these communities? That's just not right. And if white people are only making up 4% of those searched, that's a clear example of racial profiling.
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. It feels like the NYPD is perpetuating systemic racism and it needs to stop ASAP 
. We need to hold them accountable for their actions and make sure our city isn't treated like a constitution-free zone 
, its been like 10 yrs since that stop and frisk rule was made but NYPD just keepin it, its like dey dont care bout the community 
I'm literally shaking my head over this new lawsuit against the NYPD. Like, what's up with the racial disparities in traffic stops? It's just not right that Black and Latino drivers are getting pulled over and searched so much more than white people. 
The fact that only a tiny percentage of searches even result in charges being filed is mind-boggling. And can we talk about how this practice is basically just a vehicle version of the old "stop-and-frisk" policy? It's like, no one has learned from history or anything! 
. I mean, can't we just have equal treatment on the roads? It's crazy that Black and Latino drivers are being targeted way more than white folks for random searches. The numbers are wild - 84% of searched cars belong to people of color, while only 4% are white. That's just not right 
. We need to make sure our police force is reflecting the communities they're serving, and that they understand the impact of their actions on people's lives.
Yeah, because we all know that's not a coincidence 
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