Updated 06/07/2012 10:46 PM
Local Lawmakers Demand Justice Dept. Investigate NYPD's Frisk Policy
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City and state legislators stood side by side with New York's congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to demand that the Justice Department investigate the New York City Police Department’s controversial stop-and-frisk policies.
Do you think the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics warrant a federal investigation? Would you like to see the Justice Department intervene? Read New Yorkers' thoughts.
The critics who met with Justice Department officials said the policy is a violation of civil rights and does nothing to stop crime.
"What is going on in New York City only points to the many instances of racial profiling across the nation," said Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clark.
"No one cares about stopping crime more than we do because we live in these neighborhoods," said Brooklyn Assemblyman Karim Camara. "I'm raising two kids. You think I like hearing gunshots when my kids are sleeping in the other room? But you're not stopping the gunshots, you're not getting the guns off the street."
The NYPD has long defended the policy, saying it is an effective crime-fighting tool that keeps New Yorkers safe and saves lives.