Police union claims in stop-and-frisk are rejected
LARRY NEUMEISTER AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Police unions lost their bid Wednesday to challenge a ruling concluding that New York City's stop-and-frisk tactics are sometimes discriminatory, moving the city a step closer toward changing the program, which has drawn criticism for its effect on minorities but won praise for its role in reducing crime.
In a written ruling, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres said five police unions representing the majority of the police department's 35,000 employees lacked legal standing to pick up where the city left off when it decided to settle the case last year rather than pursue an appeal.
The unions said a finding of discrimination against minorities within the stop-and-frisk program had damaged the reputations of the nation's largest police force.
But Torres said unions' claims rested "on the flawed assumption that anonymous officers who have not taken part in this litigation have a reputational interest arising from the court's finding against their employer."
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ny-judge-rejects-stop-frisk-police-union-claims
