The interpretation of crime statistics in New York City can depend largely on the viewpoint taken regarding tactics and politics. For this reason, a recent story from the New York Daily News has to be considered with some context in order for it to make sense.

A front page story, published June 5, 2015, states, “Stop and Risk- Frisks drop while crime climbs.” The stop and frisk policy referenced here was strongly associated with the administration of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and it was first on the chopping block in Mayor De Blasio’s campaign messaging. Even though the data in the article  properly references that shootings and murders are on the rise in the city, overall crime numbers have decreased.

New data on stop and frisk activity by police officers in New York City indicates major declines across much of the Big Apple- some areas experienced decreases in the behavior by large percentages.. Looking a little deeper into the data, however, it seems that there’s no correlation between the decreased stop and frisk activity and incidents with shootings or with changes in crime in general. Even though many authorities have argued that the end of stop and frisk would contribute to both higher crime numbers and decreased ability for officers to carry out their jobs, the data does not indicate this.

In light of all the recent concerns about police behavior making headlines across the country, the benefits and  problems of stop and frisk are worth considering. At what point do police cross the line when it comes to apprehending alleged criminals? This is the question being evaluated in courts across the country, often making up a critical component of an accused’s criminal defense strategy. If you believe your rights have been violated, then you need advice from a New York criminal defense attorney. Julie Rendelman is a highly experienced criminal defense attorney with over 20 years of legal experience. As a former prosecutor in the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney’s office, Ms. Rendelman understands how the criminal court system operates. Call 212-951-1232 for a free consultation and visit www.RendelmanLaw.com for additional information.