New York Police Unveils 5-Year Arrest Statistics: Accused of Racism

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) released data that activists say backed up allegations that racial minorities are still targeted by law enforcement. Writes about this ABC News.

According to the NYPD, of the 125 “COVID-19-related” arrests between March 16 and May 10, 68% were black, 24% Hispanic and just under 7% white. New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea challenged the belief that his officers' actions were motivated by racism, saying the allegations "have nothing to do with the truth."

While the sample of arrests for social distancing is small, activists say it points to a problem that communities across the country face - uneven policing that affects different races in different ways.

New York not only became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, but also a hot spot for protests after the murder of African American policeman George Floyd, despite the fact that mayor Bill de Blasio and other leaders in recent years have presented the region as a national role model for how a diverse and liberal city can carry out police reform.

In the six years since New York ended its controversial stop-and-search program (the city presented it as an effective way to fight crime, but the court found it unconstitutional and aimed at “racial profiling”), the number of arrests has dropped by almost twice. However, according to reports from the largest US municipal police force, African Americans still make up about 50% of those detained each year.

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Although some critics of the stop and search program hoped that its eradication would be the beginning of the end of racial profiling in law enforcement, arrest statistics show that their calculation turned out to be wrong.

From January 1, 2014, when the stop and search program was discontinued, to December 31, 2019, African Americans accounted for 48% of the nearly 1,8 million arrests by NYPD, while Hispanics accounted for 34%. whites 12% and Asians 5%. Five-year statistics show that most arrests were made for possession or distribution of dangerous drugs (281 arrests), assault (258), and serious crimes (208).

At the height of the stop and search program - in 2011 - the police made 412 arrests. Blacks made up 859 of them, or 202%, Hispanics - 284 (49%), and whites - 139 (363%).

Since 2011, the number of arrests in New York has declined annually from 396 in 280 to 2012 in 214. However, data show that the racial breakdown of those arrested remains unchanged.

In 2019, African Americans, accounting for 24% of the total New York population, continued to account for 48% of those arrested. Data for 2019 for other groups:

• white (43% of the total population of the city) - 11% of the total number of those arrested;
• Hispanics (29% of the New York population) - 34% of the total number of detainees;
• Asians (14% of the population) - 6% of the total number of arrests.

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Data for 2020 shows that as of March 31, New York City police had made 44 arrests. Of those arrested, 824% were Black, 49% Hispanic and 32% White.

Responding to a question about racial differences in arrest data, New York City Police denied that its anti-crime policies target blacks or Hispanics.

“NYPD enforces the law fairly and equally and works tirelessly every day to keep everyone and every neighborhood safe,” said Sgt. Mary Francis O'Donnell, NYPD spokesman. "NYPD is subject to ongoing criminal justice reform that balances public safety, investigations and the ability to deliver justice."