Excuse me sir, your prejudice is showing...

     Racial equality (or inequality I should say) has been in the media a lot recently ever since the Trayvon Martin case. Now in the news, the NYPD 's "Stop and Frisk" policy is being questioned on whether it it doing its job correctly. According to the article, the New York Police Department has been targeting African Americans and Latinos when carrying out this policy, racially profiling citizens and violating their fourth and fifteenth amendment rights. Much to the dismay of a New York City judge, Shira A. Schiendlin, she is now attempting the modify the policy to end the prejudice practice. 

     The NYPD and New York mayor have showed their disapproval of the judge's decision, and some believe the doing of this important policy could jeopardize the safety of the New York citizens. According to the NYPD and mayor, crime has lessened since the practice of stopping and frisking suspicious people. According to the judge, however, more stops occur in diverse neighborhoods, despite the fact that more Caucasians are found with artillery and other contraband. Seeing as the fourteenth amendment lays down an equality policy for all in America, stopping and frisking more blacks and hispanics just because of their race completely oversteps the constitutional rights that minorities have. Also, the "Stop and Frisk" policy in general is technically unconstitutional because it infringes on peoples' right - minorities or majorities - to not undergo unnecessary searches and seizures. Although it may lower crime rates in the city, the violation of citizens' constitutional rights does not make the practice okay. 

     With the factual knowledge that more whites are caught with drugs and weapons, the NYPD - if anything - turn to racially profiling Caucasians. However, because of the hateful stereotypes that minorities are labeled with, officials turn a "blind eye" to the unjust system. The city has plans for an appeal to the judge's decision. The NYPD and New York mayor have strong beliefs that the policy will not be removed. 



TERESA WELSH
CNN8/12/13