'Everybody wants to live in a Philadelphia that is safe and secure,' writes Danitra Sherman and Mary Catherine Roper. 'That means being safe from crime and also being safe from unnecessary interactions with police.'
stop-and-frisk, but that is what happens. Stop-and-frisk in Philadelphia has always been steeped in racial discrimination. There is no way a policy so rife with racial disparities could be considered “constitutional” — the Constitution does not allow for racial discrimination. Until the Philadelphia police address those racial disparities, any call for “more” stop-and-frisk is a call for more racial targeting.
As historically practiced, stop-and-frisk is a racist policy that is always an intrusion, often dangerous, and can be deadly.. Those who are merely inconvenienced might think of themselves as the lucky ones. Too often, a stop can escalate into harassment and even violence. The news is filled with reports of Black men shot or beaten by police after what is often described as a “routine” stop.
Everybody wants to live in a Philadelphia that is safe and secure for our families, our neighbors, and our communities. That means being safe from crime and also being safe from unnecessary interactions with police. After all, stop-and-frisk is one of the most common ways for people to become entangled in the criminal legal system or have violent interactions with police.
It is encouraging that Parker demonstrates a commitment to keeping families safe and secure. Assuming she secures a victory in November, ACLU-PA looks forward to working with her and the police commissioner to continue reducing the use of stop-and-frisk across the city and especially reducing the racial disparities in how it is used. This will allow police to more effectively do their jobs without relying on a fruitless, racist tactic of yesteryear.
Danitra Sherman is the deputy advocacy/policy director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. Mary Catherine Roper is the former deputy legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania and was cocounsel in “Bailey v. City of Philadelphia.”
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