New York Police Department
Bloomberg's aide will argue legal technicalities at public safety hearing
The bill redefining racial profiling has more than enough signatures to pass the 51-member Council. But what the Bloomberg administration is expected to argue is that the bills — regardless of their merit — are not constitutional under the City charter which bars the Council from setting policy for mayoral agencies.
"I kind of wish they would have taken the opportunity to show how harmful [this bill] would be," said Vallone, who has called it the most dangerous bill in the history of the City Council.
RNC arrests in 2004 expose the city to lawsuits now
A federal judge ruled yesterday that hundreds of arrests by the New York Police Department during the Republican National Convention in 2004 were improper and unjustified. More
Talib Kweli, from Fort Greene, asks Bloomberg not to be 'so dismissive' of police criticism
Rapper Talib Kweli said Mayor Michael Blomberg should "not so generally dismissive of the dissatisfaction that's going on." The Brooklyn-based artist also said NYPD Comissioner Ray Kelly was "inaccurate" in saying people don't denounce violence and illegal activities in high-crime neighborhoods. More
The 'scariest bill ever' in the City Council
One bill would create a new office designed to investigate possible wrong-doing by police officers. Another would require police officers leave a business card with people they stop and frisk. A third would require cops to get proof of written or verbal consent before searching people not under arrest. More
Cuomo, in McDonald's corner and Grisanti's ad
Cuomo is featured in an ad called "Independent", for Republican State Senator Mark Grisanti. [Youtube, h/t Nick Reisman]
Democratic state senators Malcolm Smith and Kevin Parker gave last-minuted donations to Shirley Huntley, before she lost her Democratic primary to Councilman James Sanders. [Glenn Blain]
"It would be my honor to stand with you" Cuomo said. [Lucian McArty]
Talib Kweli and '10 Frisk Commandments' rapper to appear at stop-and-frisk rally
Organizers announced today that Pittsburgh-based rapper Jasiri X will perform 10 Frisk Commandments, a reworking of the classic Notorious B.I.G. anthem that enumerated practical advice to drug dealers seeking safety while pursing profits. More
(1)Bills to curb police activity will get very public airing
Four major pieces of legislation that could dramatically curtail the growing number of people frisked by New York police officers, will be heard at three public hearings next month, the New York City Council just announced. More
Cuomo is upbeat about state government, the G.O.P. is down about Romney
2013
Vogue on Scott Stringer's spokeswoman: "chicest get-out-the-vote organizer." [Laura Nahmias]
John Liu's spokesman defends the comptroller's decision to rehire a company he fired in 2010 for "poor performance." [Sally Goldenberg]
City Hall
More complaints from reporters about the NYPD. [Christopher Robbins] More
Video shows Councilman Jumaane Williams getting pushed off a bench
Around the 2:45 mark in this video, you see City Councilman Jumaane Williams standing on a seat in Liberty Park, and a police officer pushing him, telling him to "get down".
Williams, a vocal critic of the New York Police Department, can be heard saying "I'm a Council member" and "I'm observing." More
The NYPD's News Corp. detail
Here's Rupert Murdoch arriving for work at News Corp.'s headquarters in Manhattan yesterday morning just before 8:30 a.m. More
(1)More reverberation from the Darrius Kennedy shooting in Times Square
Each day, the New York tabloids vie to sell readers at the newsstands on outrageous headlines, dramatic photography, and, occasionally, great reporting. Who is today's winner? More
(1)San Francisco mayor ditches stop-and-frisk idea
In a coup for opponents of New York City's stop-and-frisk policy, the mayor of San Fracisco announced he won't implement the policy there out of fear it will lead to "racial profiling" and is opting for a more community-oriented approach which has yielded results in Boston.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee's spokesman said "He doesn't want to implement a policy that has the potential to include racial profiling." And according to the San Francisco Chronicle:
[Police Chief Greg] Suhr said enforcement will be targeted, unlike New York City's version of stop and frisk. 'It will not be random,' he said. 'It will be focused.'"
New York City Comptroller John Liu -- who wants the policy here abolished -- said he hopes "We encourage Mayor Bloomberg to take a page from Mayor Lee’s book."
The move in San Francisco is a direct, and rare, rejection of NYPD Ray Kelly's policy from the law enforcement community. More
A day for talking about stop-and-frisk and a night for talking about crime
More figures about the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk data was released, leading to a couple of different news stories this morning. The first, from The Times, is a look at the embarrassment felt by women who are stopped and frisked -- 16,000 of them last year.
But over at on the Post editorial page, there's a different angle. They note -- as I did last week -- that there was an uptick in crime while there was a reduction in stops. The Post editorial page says it's no coincidence. They do not get into another possible factor: the massive reduction in police staffing which has taken place over the last decade and has been complained about by tough-on-crime politicians like the Public Safety Chairman, City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.
And all this is happening today, official National Night Out Against Crime, when Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other city officials will be meeting up with local police officers talking about crime and crime fighting.
(1)Tension mounts between NYPD and press as a 'Times' photographer is arrested
The Lineup collects the media stories, big and small, that are on our radar each day. More
Critics on stop-and-frisk decrease: We'll see
Stop-and-frisks are down, Dave Seifman reported today, and critics of the practice don't much care. More
