NY Police Union Joins Lawsuit Against Stop-and-Frisk Law

The NYPD's largest police union joined Michael Bloomberg's lawsuit to halt stop-and-frisk policy reforms.

By Von Diaz Oct 16, 2013

On Tuesday, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, New York City’s largest police union, joined exiting Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s lawsuit intended to block the City Council’s  Local Law 71, which would reform the controversial stop-and-frisk policy. The law, which came after a federal judge ruled the police tactic is a violation of rights that led to racial profiling, would go into effect next month, and would make it easier for people to file racial profiling lawsuits against the NYPD.

The police union says the new law would put police officers in danger, and makes vague amendments to existing police policies. But after more than a decade in place, stop-and-frisk has left its mark on a generation of young men of color in particular, and because it appears to be actively used in other cities, policy changes in New York City could have wider-ranging effects.