NYC Drops Federal Appeal In Stop-and-Frisk Cases
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City has dropped its appeal of rulings in stop-and-frisk cases. The move is aimed at speeding reforms it has agreed to in a settlement.
The city's Law Department filed papers Wednesday with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The goal is to end years of litigation over the city's controversial anti-crime tactic. Those who brought the lawsuits did not oppose the action.
The city reached a deal earlier this year with plaintiffs in the lawsuits.
A judge last year concluded that the city sometimes discriminates against minorities with its stop-and-frisk program. Various police unions tried to intervene to overturn the findings of discrimination, but a lower-court judge last week rejected the request.
A lawyer for the Sergeants Benevolent Association did not immediately respond to a message for comment.
Stop-and-frisk has been around for decades, but recorded stops increased dramatically under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, reaching an all-time high in 2011. Only about 10 percent of the stops resulted in arrests or summonses, and weapons are found about 2 percent of the time.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who took office Jan. 1, campaigned on reforms to the controversial program. He has repeatedly said he is seeking to restore trust between communities and police officers.
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