Jack & Jill Politics

Loop21 offers this troubling news:

Police are nine times more likely to stop and frisk minorities in New York City than they are to do the same to white men. Yet, these stops are no more likely to produce arrests of Black and Latino men than white men. In fact, these stops produce an arrest rate of more than 6 percent of white men, with an arrest rate of less than 6 percent of black men after a thorough frisking.

Civil libertarians are rightfully upset. One, there is no other way to explain this away but through racial profiling. Cops might blame it on “furtive movement” but who can blame Black and Latino men for acting nervously around police. They know the police are about to shake them down in full view of the public. Embarrassing, you know?

Research shows that minorities often have a dim view of the police. And why not? If walking while Black gets you pulled over, what can you do?

Yet the author seems to feel it’s justified because “crime is down”? What?! Here’s what the NYTimes had to say:

Of the reasons listed by the police for conducting the stops, one of those least commonly cited was the claim that the person fit the description of a suspect. The most common reason listed by the police was a category known as “furtive movements.”

Under Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, the New York Police Department’s use of such street stops has more than quintupled, fueling not only an intense debate about the effectiveness and propriety of the tactic, but also litigation intended to force the department to reveal more information about the encounters.

The Center for Constitutional Rights, which got the data on stop and frisks after it first sued the city over the issue after the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo, said its analysis of the 2009 data showed again what it argued was the racially driven use of the tactic against minorities and its relatively modest achievements in fighting crime.

“Furtive movements”? Are you kidding me? If ever there was racial profiling fully on display, here we have it. Here’s a crazy thought: why not for a week, reverse these numbers and frisk white men of all walks of life making “furtive movements”. How much safer would we be? With all the police over-focus on minorities, seems to me like some criminals are walking white and free. Discrimination cuts both ways — it’s clear from the numbers that the police policy is excessive if the same number of people are caught when frisked at a lower rate — when more than just a hunch based on “furtive movements” is involved. I suspect that police frisk have more solid basis when they are frisking a white guy rather than just assuming that a black man who puts his hand in his pocket is drawing a weapon rather than his wallet (like poor Amadou).

That’s all I’m saying — let’s reverse this policy for a week or two and see how white people like it. And, uh, how they feel about the police as a result. And how many criminals get caught — what’s a few civil liberties and human rights if you feel safer, right?

Or here’s a crazy idea — why don’t we look to the Constitution for some lessons in search and seizure. And outlaw racial profiling. Just sayin’…

If you’ve been randomly frisked or stopped by the NYC po-po, holla in the comments. Paging Eric Holder!