The Other Day a Federal Court Ruled That the NYPD Could No Longer
By Adoniah
@Adoniah (7513)
United States
January 21, 2013 6:20pm CST
Stop and Frisk Innocent people just walking down the street in certain parts of town...Specifically around low income apartment complexes. The court proclaimed it unconstitutional to target certain minorities and certain areas of town for just 'being there'. The police called it "Operation Clean Halls." The Judge: Judge Shira A Scheindlin. said that it was unconstitutional and that They all knew it".
To me this is "punishment of thought crime". They were there, so they "MIGHT be considering" committing a crime.
What do you think?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@urbandekay (18278)
•
23 Jan 13
Quite right, it is wrong for police to search unless they have good reason.
Here in UK police may only stop and search if they have reasonable grounds for suspension. You may query these grounds and they must be some basis for the officer’s belief, related to you personally, which can be considered and evaluated by an objective third person. Mere suspicion based on hunch or instinct might justify observation but cannot justify a search. If these conditions are not met you may refuse the search unless you are entering a sports ground or certain other premises.
Furthermore, unless the police person is in uniform they must produce proof that they are police, usually a warrant card
They must advise you on your rights concerning the search
They must give their name and the address of their station
They must say for what they are searching
They must provide a record of the search or how such may be obtained
They must give the grounds for the search
The search may not go ahead unless and until the above conditions have been met even though they are not requested by the suspect.
all the best urban
@urbandekay (18278)
•
25 Jan 13
Here we are policed by consent not by force, our police are, as a rule, unarmed. Perhaps it is this that makes a difference, as we know power tends to corrupt
all the best, urban
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
24 Jan 13
Urban, all and more of what you said is also the law here...The problem is not with the laws, it is with the police and the existing government. It seems that the government has given the police the idea that they are above the law and can interpret and enforce it at their discretion...
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
27 Jan 13
We too pay our police out of the public treasury. We HIRE them to protect us, to keep order and chase down criminals. We too have laws limiting the power of said police force. We too protect the rights of citizens from undo force and seizure. To the point that obviously guilty sometimes go free because a policeman messed up and did not afford the criminal his 'rights'.
The Supreme Court decided that it is not a guaranteed right of the law abiding citizen to be protected by the police force they hired with their tax money to serve and protect.
There comes a point where to claim you are civilized you must discern right from wrong. In a society that has no moral absolutes, everyone's rights are in danger. If you cannot count on your government to keep order, to rightly judge between right and wrong...why have the government at all? Is it not for the protection of those who obey the law...that we have law at all?
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
22 Jan 13
The first time I heard of this practice I thought it couldn't POSSIBLY be Constitutional; I applaud the judge for making the right ruling. There's really not much else to say on this, is there? It was blatant discrimination, no two ways about it, and I'm glad it's been struck down. Let's hope the cops obey the law now.
Annie
@Bluebell18 (636)
• United States
23 Jan 13
That by far is the most disgusting law on Earth!!!!
I heard a while back that in Arizona, the cops would stop 'illegals' no matter what time of day to ask for their papers or proof of citizenship. (All bad stuff happens in Arizona and Florida)
I remember one time my sister and I went shopping at a department store. (I was twelve) and I was waiting in the car listening to the radio, when this elderly cop came to the car demanding that I show him my identification, why was I in the car, what was my sister doing here, how long is she going to be in the store, why don't I have identification, why don't I learn how to drive.
All of this when I was twelve years old?! If this happened to me, I can only imagine what happened to the innocents in NY!@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
24 Jan 13
"All bad stuff happens in Arizona and Florida" I have to disagree with this...Fl. does not have nearly the murders as some states...We have the most concealed carry permits in the US and the bad guys know it. Every state is having problems with the cops getting overly dictatorial. I have heard a lot of horror stories coming out of places like Chicago and Dearborn.
