NYPD Didn't Discipline Officers For Illegal Stop And Frisks, Federal Review Says

The New York City Police Department failed to discipline officers for violating the rights of citizens during controversial “stop-and-frisk” encounters, according to a review ordered by a federal judge.

While the city’s police department has made efforts to investigate internal officer misconduct, it has failed to discipline officers found liable in violating people’s civil rights, the report said.

Stop and frisks are when police briefly detain and search citizens without probable cause. The policing policy was found unconstitutional during a 2013 federal trial after evidence found Black and Hispanic people were the most frequent targets of the practice.

The 503-page report, meant to provide oversight on NYPD’s compliance with the law, was written by James Yates, a retired New York State judge, and filed to a court docket on Monday by federal judge Analisa Torres.

The department saw a 61% increase in street stops in 2022, with only 2% of them leading to arrests. The report provided 51 recommendations for the NYPD to resolve the areas where it falls short in disciplining officers.

The NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The report said officers often received “informal discipline” for stop and frisks, which occurs inside of a police department’s precinct, as opposed to formal disciplinary procedures that would routinely involve an internal trial process detailing the allegations of misconduct against the officer, the report said.

“Discipline for illegal stops and frisks, even when substantiated by [the Civilian Complaint Review Board], is not pursued with the same vigor and resolve as for other misconduct. Penalties for wrongdoing involving stops, questions, frisks, or searches of persons….even