New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement about the How Many Stops Act, one bill of which he co-prime sponsors with Council Member Alexa Avilés. Read the facts on this legislation here.
"Ten years ago, I passed legislation curbing the abuses of stop, question, and frisk. But now, a federal monitor reports that similar tactics have been increasing in use on our streets. The How Many Stops Act is designed to prevent these abuses from returning by requiring reporting on investigatory stops – like questioning someone related to a suspected crime. It simply does not require reporting on every interaction, like casual conversation or asking for directions. Nor does it require recording of personal information like name and address in those interactions. This is a common sense way to get information about whether and how policing reforms are being implemented on the ground in our communities.
“I hope the conversation can center on what this bill actually does, not what people have put forth in bad faith and with bad information.
“Whatever the fearmongering has fabricated, the reality is that this bill, crafted with NYPD input, merely requires sharing basic data on the number and nature of law enforcement stops. I believe that a department with the technological capabilities the NYPD has displayed will be able to do this reporting in a simple, rapid way that leads to better policing and safer streets.”