Trump issued support for the controversial policing tactic despite its disproportionate impact on black men. Here’s the full story.
Years of Discourse
For many years now, lawyers and advocacy groups have fought against the use of the policing tactic called “stop and frisk” which has caused a vast amount of Black and brown men traumatized from their interactions with law enforcement.
Further Distrust
This mental and physical trauma causes further distrust between civilians and police forces, widening the gap between the two groups.
A Look Back
“Stop and frisk” was effectively banned in 2013 when a federal judge found it unconstitutional, but that hasn’t stopped former President Donald Trump from trying to bring it back.
Financial Penalties Involved
Trump is campaigning hard on his anti-crime platform and plan if he is voted into office, and a key pillar of his plans reinstates “stop and frisk” with a financial penalty for jurisdictions that do not participate.
Trump Claims It Is “Very Simple”
On his presidential campaign website, Trump wrote, “I will insist that local jurisdictions return to proven common sense policing measures, such as stop and frisk,” saying it is “very simple.”
Push for Black Votes
Many Black men are confused that Trump would campaign on this particular promise, when he has made such a push for the coveted Black votes in swing states. One such man is Author Travis Hunter, who was violated by three white police officers and thrown up against a car when he was celebrating his first major book deal.
“Totally Violated”
After being questioned and called the N-word by the officers, he was left standing alone and fuming in the streets, saying “I couldn’t even eat after that,” continuing, “I felt totally violated. . . I still do.”
Trump Aiming for Black Entertainers
His vocal support for the controversial “stop and frisk” methods comes at the same time that he is desperate to appeal to Black voters who supported Biden in the previous election. While he has gained support from Black entertainers such as Ye and Sexy Red, he has also upset quite a few Black people with his insistence that they relate to him because of his mugshot.
Tough on Crime
His most recent campaign pushes seem to target his (possible) supporters that want urban areas to be more tough on crime, regardless of record lows in the national crime rate. He also seeks to appeal to the former Biden voters who support Trump’s economic policies.
The Stats
More than 2 million Black men have experienced a “stop and frisk” before, and even some of the vocal Black Trump supporters do not seem so keen on the idea of bringing it back.
Trump Supporters Even Oppose the Idea
Shelley Wynter, co-host of “Word on the Street” with MalaniKai Massey on WSB-FM in Atlanta, “Stop and frisk, in theory, is not a bad plan and I’m not opposed to it. Stop and frisk in its activation becomes problematic”. He noted the “other problem is in its implementation, because what you do is you give carte blanche to the police to just do whatever they want, and you live in a constant state of police.”
Unintended Consequences
But, “There are high crime areas where stop and frisk may work, but there are unintended consequences. And those unintended consequences are, you start to pull over and grab and frisk kids that have nothing to do with nothing. They’re going to school, minding their business. But if you have quality police training, then it can be effective.” He calls it a “nuanced thing” that will be difficult to implement effectively.
Claims of Homicide Prevention
Prior to its federal ban in 2013, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was a staunch supporter of the tactic. In an op-ed in The Wallstreet Journal, he said that it has prevented over 7,000 homicides, specifically against men of color.
Clear Target
Regardless of the many studies that show Black men are disproportionately targeted by “stop and frisk” policies, he has continued to declare for the past decade that he will federally reinstate it.
Harassment and Discrimination
Rodney Diggs, a LA based civil rights attorney finds it especially ironic, saying, “Stop and frisk only serves to harass and discriminate against people of color”. Continuing, “And so to say, ‘OK, I want the Black vote, I want the people-of-color vote, but now I’m going to establish a law that does nothing but discriminate against you’ goes against logic.”
Recipe for Disaster
“Not only is it a recipe for disaster; you’re increasing the distrust between the community and police officers when stop and frisk clearly is geared towards various communities of people of color.”
Use of Force
Biden campaign spokesperson Jasmine Harris said in opposition they plan to have “executive order that restricts chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level, establishes a national database of officers who have been fired for misconduct, and requires federal agencies to update their policies on use of force.”
The Central Park 5
Continuing, “Donald Trump is the racist who came into public life by falsely accusing the Central Park 5 and has continuously encouraged police departments to be more aggressive and adopt policies like stop-and-frisk”.
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