The City Council has recently passed the How Many Stops Act, which mandates that police officers must now report low-level encounters with citizens.
The Council’s last meeting of the year saw 35 votes in favor of the bill. Mayor Eric Adams now has 30 days to veto the measure. However, if he does decide to veto, the Council has the power to override it with a majority vote.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is currently required to record incidents where officers detain individuals, even if only briefly. This includes stops, frisks, and arrests. However, there is now an additional requirement for officers to report low-level stops, such as instances where an officer asks someone for their identification, inquires about their destination, or requests voluntary consent to conduct a search.
Councilmember Alexa Avilés, along with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, introduced the bill with the intention of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the real-life experiences that take place on the streets, as she previously mentioned in an interview with Gothamist.
“We want to gain a comprehensive understanding of the extent and reach of policing in New York City,” stated Avilés, who put forth the bill in July 2022.
Councilmember Crystal Hudson’s bill, which is part of the package, has successfully passed with 39 votes. This bill will enforce the requirement for police officers to report instances where individuals do not give their consent for a search. It is set to take effect on July 1, 2024.
The NYPD will now be required to publish data on its website every quarter regarding “level one” and “level two” stops according to the new legislation. It has been reported that police stops have been increasing under Adams’ leadership, as previously noted by Gothamist.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams emphasized that the focus should not solely be on the behavior of individual officers. Instead, it is crucial to have comprehensive data on policing that can contribute to shaping public safety policy.
Both the police department and Adams expressed their opposition to the bill. Adams stated that the legislation would negatively impact their ability to ensure the city’s safety by adding excessive administrative tasks for officers. NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey shared the same sentiment, agreeing with Adams and mentioning that the bill would further complicate officers’ work.
According to Maddrey, the number of people we come across in a year doesn’t provide any information about the nature of the interactions. It’s possible that the encounter was just a simple and harmless conversation.
During former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s stop-and-frisk era, police conducted a significantly higher number of stops compared to now. However, the racial disparities in these stops are even more pronounced today. According to a report by Gothamist, out of the tens of thousands of pedestrians who have been stopped since Eric Adams took office, only 5% of them were white. This is lower than the 9% recorded during Bloomberg’s tenure.
More News:
