Overview
- Filed Jan. 29 in Manhattan federal court, the complaint by the NYCLU, Bronx Defenders and Milbank LLP names the NAACP New York State Conference and two Black New Yorkers as plaintiffs.
- Plaintiffs say NYPD data show more than 2 million traffic stops since 2022, with Black drivers accounting for about 32% and Hispanic drivers 30% of stops despite smaller shares of the city’s driving population.
- The suit alleges Black drivers were 10 times more likely and Hispanic drivers six times more likely than white drivers to be searched, with over 84% of vehicle searches involving Black or Latino motorists and less than 4% involving white drivers.
- Plaintiffs contend searches rarely uncover weapons, citing data that more than 96% did not lead to an arrest for criminal possession of a weapon.
- The lawsuit seeks a declaration of illegality, a permanent injunction and damages, while the NYPD points to data-driven deployments to higher-crime areas as the reason for where stops and searches occur; the highest search counts were in Brooklyn’s 75th, Queens’ 113th and the Bronx’s 44th precincts.