A new report released by the NYCLU on New York City’s controversial “Stop and Frisk” program exposes jaw-dropping ineffectiveness and racial disparities.

The program clearly targets black and Latino men between the ages of 14-24. This demographic is just 4.7% of the city’s population, yet they account for 41.6% of stops in 2011. 90% of these men were innocent.

In fact, there were 168,126 searches of black males between the ages of 14-24; this number exceeds the total population of black men aged 14-24 in New York City in general.

Obviously, something must to be done to reign in this racist, abusive policy.

From NYCLU:

“‘Our analysis demonstrates the alarming extent to which the NYPD is targeting innocent black and brown New Yorkers,’ NYCLU Associate Legal Director Christopher Dunn said. ‘In nearly every police precinct – black and white, high crime and low crime – black and Latino New Yorkers are stopped and frisked at a far greater rate than whites. Everyone wants to feel safe in their neighborhoods, but the abuse of stop-and-frisk is making communities of color across New York City fear the force that is supposed to protect them.’

In response to discriminatory policing practices like the abuse of stop-and-frisk, the NYCLU and our allies in Communities United for Police Reform are working to pass the Community Safety Act, a series of City Council bills that would strengthen the definition of discrimination, ensure that New Yorkers understand their right to not consent to searches where no probable cause or warrant exists, and require that NYPD officers identify themselves when conducting stop-and-frisks or engaging in other police activities. In the coming weeks a bill will be introduced creating an NYPD Inspector General’s office.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne has already responded to the report.

From the Wall Street Journal:

“NYPD spokesman Paul Browne challenged the reasoning used by the civil-rights group. ‘If the NYPD were to follow the NYCLU’ s logic , police  would be stopping women over 50% of the time since they represent over 50% of the city’s population,’ he said in a detailed rebuttal of the report.

As he has in the past, Browne argued that police stops — referred to as ‘reasonable suspicion encounters’ by the department — has saved lives and drove down the city’s murder rate.”

Read more at the WSJ.com, and learn more about this report at NYCLU.com

Do you think the “Stop and Frisk” program is keeping New Yorkers safe?

What can we do to stop the NYPD’s abusive treatment of young men of color?

Sound off below!