Stop and Frisk data to be collected by Justice Dept. – AG Holder

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice will begin collecting national data on stop and frisks in a bid to reduce bias in the justice system.

According to Holder, the Department of Justice will create the National Center for Building Community Trust and Justice to meet this effort.

Stop and frisk is an unpopular policing technique practiced in all major cities in the United States. Critics of the technique have said that the technique unfairly targets young African American and Latino men. The backlash against stop and frisk has gained momentum – a federal judge ruled last year that the practice was unconstitutional.

“This over-representation of young men of color in our criminal justice system is a problem we must confront, not only as an issue of individual responsibility but also as one of fundamental fairness, and as an issue of effective law enforcement,” Holder said. “Of course, I realize that progress will not come easily, and the changes we seek will not take hold overnight. But the Justice Department is firmly committed to the goal of opening doors to cooperation and trust that will ultimately lead to safer and healthier communities.”

Source: News Wires