5 ms·
As a black NYC resident I'm actually surprised by this. Stop and frisk is a major violation of the rights of those stopped without cause but I have generally vi
by ritchiea 13y ago
As a black NYC resident I'm actually surprised by this. Stop and frisk is a major violation of the rights of those stopped without cause but I have generally viewed it as more of a class issue than a race issue. I have never been stopped by the police in this manner. I was once stopped by the police on the iffy charge that I was in the park after dark while walking home late and I told the officer I was cutting through the park because I had work in the morning and I heard about muggings in the neighborhood and the park seemed the fastest and safest way home. The cop seemed to be caught off guard and quickly ended the confrontation. Furthermore, none of my (very middle to upper middle class) black friends have complained about being victims of stop and frisk.
My studiomate who is a filmmaker actually spoke with some local teens who were frequently harassed by the stop & frisk policy and I felt guilty that a few meager class signifiers seem to get me off the hook so easily [0].
That said the author's other accounts of having to be cautious of unintentionally provoking police do ring true my experience and stories from my family and friends.
0. https://vimeo.com/87532909 https://vimeo.com/87532909
- kylewpppd 13y agoI don't like anecdotes like this because they back the assertion Stop and Frisk does societal good. It implies that police are able to discern the difference between "good people" and "bad people", and that "stopping the bad ones" doesn't harm society at large because "the good ones" don't get stopped. This is hurtful to those who have experienced it first hand, and to those who are seeking equality of all people under the law.
- chrisdevereux 13y agoI think the point was that while the police are biased by race, other biases sometimes override the race bias. I wouldn't read that as backing Stop & Frisk.
- ritchiea 13y agoThat's not my intention at all. I'm not saying anyone is good or bad. In fact I specifically say stop & frisk is a violation of the rights of those who are stopped. You seem to be assuming because I say it's a class issue that I think it's okay. It's not okay. Someone's income or outward showing of societal class should not mark them as a criminal. I don't think anyone should be harassed by authorities for their appearance, whatever their class, race, ethnicity, or whatever else. What I am saying is that in my experience NYC police appear to discriminate more based on class than on race.
- ttiitg 13y agoBut isn't that a good trait in law enforcement if through experience gained on the street they can tell the difference between 'good' and 'bad' people, as defined by whether they're breaking the law or not? Then they focus their time on cases most likely needing attention? If they profiled only on race or on class that is obviously bad. And I imagine in some areas there's a correlation between race or class with crime. But in general I'd expect the police to develop good judgement in being able to read people on sight using whatever cues they can pick up on. I never get 'harassed' by the police nowadays, but as a middle class white teenager I was being stopped all the time, usually because they could tell from body language or how and where I was driving that I was up to something. Usually they were dead right and usually it was alcohol related.
- upofadown 13y agoThe lower classes get the benefit of extra law enforcement in most places in the world. I suspect that that is mostly by default; the upper class people are much more difficult to enforce laws against. In many places the classes are colour coded for convenient identification. As a result it is pretty much impossible to separate race and class. People will assume either prejudice as required to support their opinion of random shakedowns.
- judk 13y ago"Benefit" is confusing, as you didn't apply the 'sarcasm' tag.