Assignment:
Stop and Frisk
The U.S. Constitution ensures the rights of citizens, particularly against police and government intrusion. As part of that, the Fourth Amendment protects an individual's right to be free from illegal search and seizure. In communist and dictatorship governments, citizens are subject to police and government search, sometimes without cause and warning. However, citizens of the United States are assured that police and government officials must have cause before being personally searched, submitted to breathalyzers, or wire tapped.
New York City began a stop, question, and frisk program. The program allows officers to stop and question pedestrians, and frisk them for weapons and other contraband. Since its inception, citizens and community leaders questioned the program and challenged its validity.
Research the New York stop and frisk program. What laws, statutes, or cases are the basis for the program?
The program disproportionately affects a certain population. How has the program raised racial profiling issues?
Do you believe the program violates the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution? Why or why not?