Michael Bloomberg’s Democratic presidential candidacy has shown the spotlight on stop-and-frisk policing policies, which he supported while New York City mayor and which remain a subject of controversy. The Onion debunks well-known myths about stop-and-frisk.
MYTH: Black people and Latinos were unfairly targeted.
FACT: Police had no way of knowing if targeting minorities was fair or not until they frisked them.
MYTH: NYPD officers knowingly violated citizens’ constitutional rights.
FACT: Only a handful of cops have read the Constitution.
MYTH: Bloomberg invented stop-and-frisk.
FACT: He merely agreed with it, significantly ramped up its use for over a decade, and fought against its removal.
MYTH: Stop-and-frisk has served Greater New York for over 100 years with unbeatable deals on everything from fresh produce to tasty snacks.
FACT: That’s Stop & Shop.
MYTH: Stop-and-frisk makes New York citizens feel safer.
FACT: Stop-and-frisk makes Midwestern tourists feel safer.
MYTH: Officers were given quotas to fulfill.
FACT: How can you quantify an officer’s need to feel strong and powerful?
MYTH: The program ended in 2013.
FACT: They just don’t have a name for it now.
MYTH: It was a failed program that disproportionately affected people of color.
FACT: The program worked exactly as intended.