Activists Rally Against Stop, Question And Frisk Policy
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Community activists joined forces Thursday to rally on the steps of City Hall against the city's Stop, Question and Frisk policy.
Several hundred people, including elected officials and community leaders, joined the rally.
Opponents of the controversial policy say it unfairly targets minorities and young people.
They're pushing a legislative package of police reforms, known as the "Community Safety Act."
The act would crack down on the searches that often follow a stop-and-frisk as well as create an inspector general to provide police oversight.
"What we have is the wholesale criminalization of a generation in this city by the very people who are supposed to respect and to protect them," said Benjamin Jealous, the president and CEO of the NAACP.
"Stop-and-frisk doesn't work," said Comptroller John Liu. "In fact, it distracts resources from efforts that actually could reduce crime, could save lives and could get guns off the street."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly have defended the tactic, saying it helps get guns off the street and fight crime.