New statistics show the number of police stop-and-frisks over the first three months of the year is more than 10 percent higher than the same quarter last year.

More than 203,000 street stops were made by police from January through March, compared to 183,000 stops in the period last year.

The policy allows an officer to stop a person based on reasonable suspicion, which is lower than the probable cause needed to justify an arrest.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the practice has gotten guns off the streets and saved lives, but critics say the police department is unfairly targeting minorities.