According to a New York Times public opinion poll, a significant majority of New Yorkers believe the New York Police Department’s stop and frisk policy disproportionally targets blacks and Hispanics. The policy allows police officers to stop and search people they consider suspicious as part of a larger effort to reduce crime.
In the Bronx, several residents claim the strategy traumatizes those who are searched, and prevents them from wanting to trust the police. Their views mirror a larger consensus among New Yorkers featured in a recent multimedia presentation.