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Civil Liberties Union
NYCLU Moves to Force NYPD to Disclose Stop-And-Frisk Database
The New York Civil Liberties Union today served the NYPD with a formal legal request that the Department turn over its database of information documenting police officers' stops and frisks of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers over the last several years. The NYCLU requested the information in hopes of facilitating an independent analysis of the Department's stop-and frisk practices. The request came after the NYCLU learned recently that the Department has stonewalled the City Council in its own efforts to obtain the database.
The New York Civil Liberties Union today served the NYPD with a formal legal request that the Department turn over its database of information documenting police officers’ stops and frisks of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers over the last several years.
The NYCLU requested the information in hopes of facilitating an independent analysis of the Department’s stop-and frisk practices. The request came after the NYCLU learned recently that the Department has stonewalled the City Council in its own efforts to obtain the database.
Earlier this year the Department produced long-overdue written reports derived from the database, and those reports showed a dramatic surge in police stops and a likely racial bias in stop-and-frisk practices. But without having access to the database itself, no one outside the NYPD has been able to analyze the Department’s stop-and-frisk practices.
Shortly after the NYPD released the written reports to the City Council, the NYCLU learned that the Council would seek the database and expected it to be produced. However, last week the NYCLU learned that the Department had refused the Council’s request. This led to today’s letter from the NYCLU to Commissioner Kelly. The letter demands, under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, that the Department provide the stop-and-frisk database for 2006, the first two quarters of 2007, and for calendar years before 2006 for which electronic data exist.
“New Yorkers have the right to know whether the NYPD is stopping New Yorkers on racially biased grounds,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “To fully explore whether police stops are proper and not racially biased, an independent entity outside the NYPD must have access to the computer database of NYPD stops and frisks. Because the NYPD has refused to turn over the database to the City Council, we have no choice but to obtain it ourselves so it can be independently analyzed.”
The NYCLU pledged to force disclosure of the database even if today’s FOIL request is denied.
“The NYPD cannot hide its stop-and-frisk practices from the public,” NYCLU Associate Legal Director Christopher Dunn said. “If the department refuses to provide this information voluntarily, we will sue to force public disclosure.”