The WORD Blog

In 2007, the NYCLU started the campaign to  challenge  this heinous NYPD “practice of keeping a computer database of completely innocent people who have been stopped, questioned or frisked by police officers.” Since 2004, the NYPD has stopped and interrogated people nearly 3 million times, predominately people of color, African Americans and Hispanics.

“We applaud Governor Paterson for pulling the plug on the NYPD’s sprawling database of innocent black and Latino New Yorkers,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman, according to a statement posted at the NYCLU website. “Innocent people stopped by the police for doing nothing more than going to school, work or the subway should not become permanent criminal suspects. By signing this bill, the Paterson administration has put itself on the right side of history and leaves an important legacy in support of civil rights, civil liberties and common sense.”

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By New York State Office of the Governor – Press Release

Governor David A. Paterson today signed into law A.11177-A/S.7945-A, or the “Stop and Frisk” legislation, which prohibits the retention, in an electronic database, the personal information of individuals who are stopped, questioned and frisked by police, but are not charged with a crime or violation. The “stop, question and frisk” technique is used when a police officer reasonably suspects that an individual has committed or is about to commit a misdemeanor or felony. While this law does not prohibit the use of that technique, it ends the practice of storing the personal information that is collected in the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) database. The bill applies only to stops in New York City.

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