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Stop and Frisk: U.S. Justice Department wades into controversial NYPD program
“This is just a terrible idea, and it’s not needed,” he said, reiterating his arguments that such oversight could muddy officers’ understanding of the rules and authority they are to follow.
“The NYPD has brought crime down in a ways that nobody, nobody thought was possible. The NYPD has just done a spectacular job, and it just makes no sense whatsoever when lives are on the line to change the rules and hamper the Police Department from doing their job. They comply with the law; we are 100 percent confident in that.”
The Justice Department paperwork, first reported by the Daily News of New York, did not mention the merits of the other reforms requested.
In its statement, the Justice Department noted that it sought and secured reforms to police misconduct in dozens of law enforcement agencies nationwide, and gave the judge citations to peruse the cases. It singled out as a particular success a consent decree in Pittsburgh in 1997 where reforms were overseen by a monitor until 2002.
“An independent monitor can be essential to ensuring that complex institutional reform is achieved,” the statement said.
In those cases, the Justice Department took a lead role in litigation and reforms, but it has not in the case against the NYPD. However, it is significant that the government is weighing in on the issue.
City lawyers argued the department does a good job policing itself with an internal affairs bureau, a civilian complaint board and quality assurance divisions.
