(multimedia) New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered a speech to a Brooklyn church today defending the city’s
controversial stop-and-frisk policy, but also says it could be “mended.” Bloomberg emphasized so far 2012 has seen the lowest number of murders on record in the city’s history since the policy went in effect. New York 1 has the mayor’s defense…
“I understand why some people are calling for the stops to be eliminated entirely, but there’s no denying that the stops take guns off the streets and save lives.”
Bloomberg was speaking to a predominantly-African American congregation. Opponents of the “stop-and-frisk” policy say the controversial policy disproportionately targets minorities. The New York Civil Liberties Union says 42% of all people stopped last year were comprised of young black and Latino men. A silent march in protest of the stop-and-frisk policy is planned for Father’s Day, June 17. The gathering will also commemorate the march on June 17, 1927 against lynching. On MSNBC, Reverend Al Sharpton says…
“If you’re young, black, look a certain way… If you have a certain hairstyle, you will be frisked in New York. If you look at the data, it’s almost impossible, if you are young, black and Latino, not to be stopped in New York.”
Newsy has the full transcript
