U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan has refused New York City's request for a delay of her rulings ordering reforms in the NYPD's stop-and-frisk procedures while it pursues an appeal.
"Ordering a stay now would send precisely the wrong signal," Scheindlin wrote. "It would essentially confirm that the past practices . . . were justified and based on constitutional police practices. It would also send the message that reducing the number of stops is somehow dangerous to the residents of this City."
The judge ruled in August that police were making street stops with the "reasonable suspicion" required by the Constitution and targeting minorities. She ordered the appointment of a monitor to institute reforms in training, supervision and discipline, and a pilot project to have officers wear cameras to record stops.
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