Every year, hundreds of thousands of innocent New Yorkers are stopped, interrogated or frisked by NYPD officers for doing nothing more than walking down the street.

But momentum for change is building. In July, Gov. David Paterson signed a law that will protect New Yorkers’ privacy rights by ending the NYPD’s practice of keeping in a computer database the personal information of every innocent person stopped, pulling the plug on a police program that has turned innocent black and Latino New Yorkers into criminal suspects.

The New York State Legislature and Gov. Paterson have taken an important stand for New Yorkers’ privacy and due process rights. The NYPD should take heed: It’s time to address the Department’s racially-biased, unjust and counterproductive stop-and-frisk practices.

As part of the NYCLU’s continuing Civil Liberties Discussion Series, NYCLU Legislative Director Robert Perry will discuss the civil rights and liberties implications of the new stop-and-frisk database law and what we have to do next to truly protect the right of all innocent New Yorkers to be left alone.

Please join us Tuesday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. in our offices at 125 Broad Street on the 19th floor.

Following the presentation, NYCLU staff will lead a discussion about how you can help in the fight to end racial profiling in New York City.

Please make sure to RSVP by e-mailing discussionseries@nyclu.org or calling 212.607.3371.