U.S. Offers Conditional Support for Police Monitor in Stop-and-Frisk Case

[alp227]

Source: New York Times

The Justice Department on Wednesday waded into a federal trial over the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk practices, strongly endorsing a monitor to oversee changes if a judge were to find the practices to be unconstitutional.

But the so-called statement of interest, which the department filed late Wednesday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, stopped short of offering the Justice Department itself as a monitor for the Police Department.

The Justice Department lamented that the court had decided to address questions of fact — whether the department systematically violated New Yorkers’ rights — and the question of remedies at the same time, saying it would have preferred to weigh in only after the former had been decided.

In its carefully worded 21-page statement, the Justice Department took no position on matters of fact in the case. But should the court find against the city, the Justice Department said, it would endorse the use of a court-appointed monitor. “The experience of the United States in enforcing police reform injunctions teaches that the appointment of an independent monitor is a critically important asset,” the department said.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/13/nyregion/us-offers-conditional-support-for-police-monitor-in-stop-and-frisk-case.html

[Live and Learn]

1. How 'Stop and Frisk' was ever allowed is the question.

This is so over the top that it boggles my mind. And in NY of all places.

[Ash_F]

2. Pro-authoritarian DUers should watch this.

An audio recording of a stop-and-frisk. Chilling

Give people this kind of power and the chance that they will abuse is roughly 100%

[Poll_Blind]

4. +1 WOW! Worth watching! nt

PB

[Ed Suspicious]

5. White privilege guards the same assholes who are making this policy from the policy.

I am often who is very vocally distressed when I see cops abusing authority. I was angry at the cops in the beginning of the film. Still am, but when the creator of the film switched gears and showed the cops forced to make a choice between following a shitty policy and their safety and their livelihood, for the first time in a long time I actually sort of empathized with the cops. This institutionalized racism really starts with Bloomberg and Kelly. Yeah it's an authoritarian cop who like to act like thugs matter but more it's a political matter. It can't change until the policy is changed.

[Ash_F]

6. Well said. The POLICY is bad.

That's why 'trust the government' is such a stupid argument. These abuses are rooted in the legislation that enables them.

[Poll_Blind]

3. Like I trust the Justice Department as a monitor for the Police Department? nt

PB

[geek tragedy]

7. DoJ's civil rights division under Obama has been excellent. nt

[markpkessinger]

8. We owe a MAJOR debt of gratitude to Judge Schira Scheindlin . . .

. . . for her superb handling of these cases! (And to President Clinton for appointing her to the Federal bench!).