Use Of Stop-And-Frisk Spiked In Queens Last Year, Data Shows

QUEENS, NY — Stop-and-frisk numbers spiked in Queens last year, according to new data that shows a citywide surge in the practice years after a court ruled it unconstitutional.

There were 2,446 stop-and-frisks in Queens last year, a 32-percent increase from the 1,848 reported in 2018, the Legal Aid Society found.

Astoria's 114th Precinct had the highest number of stops of any neighborhood in Queens last year, the data shows.

Across New York City, stop-and-frisks increased by 22 percent in 2019, rising to 13,459 stops citywide from a historic low of 11,008 the year before, according to NYPD data.

The spike runs counter to NYPD officials' pledge to scale back the practice, after a federal court ruled it violated constitutional protections against discrimination and unreasonable searches in a 2013 ruling.

A whopping 90 percent of stops last year involved New Yorkers of color, according to the data, and 65 percent of the stops didn't result in an arrest or a summons.

The rates are consistent with a 2018 analysis that found eight out of every 10 people stopped by cops between 2014 and 2017 were people of color.

"This data confirms what we hear from our clients on a daily basis — despite court rulings that the city's practices were unlawful, aggressive stop-and-frisk has made a comeback in New York City," Corey Stoughton, the Legal Aid Society's attorney-in-charge of the Special Litigation Unit, said.

The NYPD disputed the Legal Aid Society's analysis, attributing the spike to better reporting rather than an actual increase in the number of stop-and-frisks.

"It's unlikely to be a true increase in stops but rather more accurate and complete reporting," NYPD spokesperson Sgt. Mary Frances O'Donnell said. "The Department has enhanced its auditing and compliance metrics as well as developed training to address stops and proper reporting."

O'Donnell pointed to the fact that the NYPD has dramatically reduced its use of stop-and-frisk from a record high of 685,000 stops in 2011, under former Mayor and current Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.

Patch editors Anna Quinn and Matt Troutman contributed reporting.