The NYPD says that it has made major inroads in improving their stop and frisk policies: but that remains to be seen.

Presently, there are potentially three class-actions lawsuits against the City of New York and the NYPD alleging improper stop and frisk practices. If one believes the statistics calculated by the New York Chapter of the ACLU, in 2011, the NYPD stop and questioned people 685,724 times. Out of those stopped, 9 out of 10 people were not ticketed or arrested for any crime. On top of this, 55.7% of those stopped were frisked, but of those frisked a weapon was found only 1.9% of the time. Not surprising these practices have led to extreme frustration and concern among residents, primarily in low-income communities in New York City.

The NYPD continues to claim that they are improving their stop and frisk policies by training police officers and making sure that the legal level of suspicion exists before a stop, frisk or search is conducted. The crux of the lawsuits, now pending the New York federal court, is that “too little, too late.”

If you or someone you know has been the victim of what you believe to be a victim of an NYPD illegal stop and frisk – whether an arrest has occurred or not – call the criminal defense attorneys at Sullivan & Brill, LLP to consult with a lawyer immediately.