some people believe that america is so post-racial that things like racial harassment and profiling are a thing of our dark past (“i mean, our president is black!”). sadly, that is not the case. in new york city alone, racial discrimination is a city-sanctioned, festering reality affecting over 1,800 people a day. this figure comes in form of the police dept’s stop-and-frisk policy, which allows officers to stop and search people they deem suspicious. now, the standard of suspicious is tenuous enough on its own. however, the policy is further complicated by the nypd’s propensity for applying it to racial minorities.
in the video above “the hunted and the hated”, director russ tuttle gives viewers a multi-layered look at stop-and-frisk from the perspective of citizens and police officers. even with the statistics and testimonials that you’ll see and hear in the film, maybe the most damning aspect of it is the recorded audio of a police stop and one between two officers. from naacp prez ben jealous:
“The tape brings to light what so many New Yorkers have experienced in the shadows at the hands of the NYPD. It is time for Mayor Bloomberg to come to grips with the scale of the damage his policies have inflicted on our children and their families. No child should have to grow up fearing both the cops and the robbers.”
and donna lieberman, executive director of the new york civil liberties union:
“This audio confirms what we’ve been hearing from communities of color, again and again. They are repeatedly subjected to abusive and disrespectful treatment at the hands of the NYPD. This explains why so many young people don’t trust the police and won’t help the police. It’s not good for law enforcement and not good for the individuals who face this harassment.”
what do you think about stop-and-frisk? have you or someone you know been subject to it before?
video and quotes via the nation. also check out nytimes for more.
