Winner, 2019 Outstanding Book Award, given by the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Policing Section The first in-depth history and analysis of a much-abused policing policy No policing tactic has been more controversial than “stop and frisk,” whereby police officers stop, question and frisk ordinary citizens, who they may view as potential suspects, on the streets. As Michael White and Hank Fradella show in Stop and Frisk, the first authoritative history and analysis of this tactic, there is a disconnect between our everyday understanding and the historical and legal foundations for this policing strategy. First ruled constitutional in 1968, stop and frisk would go on to become a central tactic of modern day policing, particularly by the New York City Police Department. By 2011 the NYPD recorded 685,000 ‘stop-question-and-frisk’ interactions with citizens; yet, in 2013, a landmark decision ruled that the police had over- and mis-used this tactic. Stop and Frisk tells the story of how and why this happened, and offers ways that police departments can better serve their citizens. They also offer a convincing argument that stop and frisk did not contribute as greatly to the drop in New York’s crime rates as many proponents, like former NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have argued. While much of the book focuses on the NYPD’s use of stop and frisk, examples are also shown from police departments around the country, including Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Newark and Detroit. White and Fradella argue that not only does stop and frisk have a legal place in 21st-century policing but also that it can be judiciously used to help deter crime in a way that respects the rights and needs of citizens. They also offer insight into the history of racial injustice that has all too often been a feature of American policing’s history and propose concrete strategies that every police department can follow to improve the way they police. A hard-hitting yet nuanced analysis, Stop and Frisk shows how the tactic can be a just act of policing and, in turn, shows how to police in the best interest of citizens.

Every law enforcement patrol officer and investigator needs to understand both the tactical considerations of stopping and frisking a suspect, and the legal constraints that should govern that power. Recent years have shown clearly the damage that can be done when police lack an adequate understanding of the legal foundation for their activities. In this new edition of Stop and Frisk, Mitchell and Connor team up to provide active or aspiring police officers with the knowledge of applicable law as well as practical techniques they need to safely and legally carry out their crime suppression and investigative duties. This updated edition includes clear summaries of major cases of the last decade and lessons learned when police and communities failed to fully understand the results of Terry v. Ohio. Ideal for in-service training at the post-academy level, this book also gives time-tested tools to police officers, supervisors, and legal advisors. Stop and Frisk can be used to teach undergraduate Criminal Justice majors as well as concerned citizens to prevent crime in their communities.

Canvasses 3 different perspectives on "stop and frisk" (S&F) police activity in NY City. Provides the legal definition of, and constitutional parameters for S&F encounters. Considers S&F from the perspective of both the N.Y. City Police Dept. (NYPD) and minority communities that believe they have been most affected by the use of S&F. S&F is also examined as part of the NYPD's training regimen and from the point of view of officers who have used the technique. Provides an assessment of the S&F tactic from the perspective of persons who have been "stopped," and commentary from persons who have observed the tactic's secondary effects. Comprehensive!!

Cites successful examples of community-based policing.

This book analyzes New York City’s stop-and-frisk data both pre- and post-constitutionality ruling, examining the existence of both profiling and unequal treatment among the three largest groups identified in the database: Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics. The purpose for using these two time periods is to determine which group(s) benefited the most from the ruling. This research goes beyond standard statistics to identify the place that race holds in contributing to the stop disparities. Specifically, this research will adds a spatial element to the numbers by analyzing the determinants of stop location by race, applying a principal component analysis to a mixture of census and stop-and-frisk data to determine the influence of location on stops by race. The results present a way of determining the plausibility of stops being the product of racial profiling–or just a matter of happenstance.

If you've dreamed of walking free of sexual harassment, you will understand why it's time to end stop-and-frisk policing.

Police have been stopping, questioning, and frisking pedestrians for decades in an effort to protect themselves and the public from harm. However, pedestrians may view the stop and frisk experience as unjustified and perceive that they are subject to unfair and overly aggressive treatment. These feelings are most pronounced for those residing in high-crime areas that are targets for intensive stop and frisk activities. Because citizens' views of the police contribute to their willingness to cooperate with and empower law enforcement, minimizing the negative effects of stop and frisk is crucial for overall police effectiveness and is especially important for improving relations with communities of color. This publication discusses the constitutionality and legal precedents of stop and frisk and the theory and practice behind these street stops. This background is followed by a discussion of stop and frisk's unintended consequences and a series of practical recommendations for the lawful and respectful use of pedestrian stops in the context of community policing.