Nearly 25% of stops made by NYPD’s revamped anti-crime team were unlawful: federal monitor
Nearly a quarter of stops, frisks and searches made by the NYPD’s revamped anti-crime unit over a three-month span last year were unlawful, according to a scathing new report from the police department’s federal monitor.
The monitor’s audit — which looked at videos, reports and supervisors’ reviews of the 184 encounters made by the Neighborhood Safety Teams in the second quarter of 2022 — found that 24%, or 45, did not have a reasonable cause.
“Despite training and experience, [NST] officers overall appear to be stopping, frisking, and searching individuals at an unsatisfactory level of compliance,” monitor Mylan Denerstein wrote in the report filed in federal court Monday.
“Too many people are stopped, frisked, and searched unlawfully.”
The monitor sounded the alarm about “poor” oversight of Mayor Eric Adams’ highly-touted plainclothes units — saying that none of the stops had raised eyebrows among supervisors.
“Whether or not the supervisors were on the scene, the sergeants and lieutenants did a poor job assessing the work of their subordinates,” Denerstein wrote.
The squads were rolled out last year as a key Adams administration initiative to crack down on gun violence.
They were something of a reboot to the department’s controversial anti-crime unit, which was disbanded in 2020, under the last administration.
But the monitor’s report took issue with stops made by NST officers — finding that many provided questionable reasons, such as suspicions based on anonymous tips.
Other reasons listed included that the civilian was stopped because they looked back at the cops or walked in a different direction when passing them or that officers had spotted bulges on a person, without providing other details.
In some cases, the narrative provided by officers in their report did not line up with what was captured on body-worn cameras, the monitor said.
The report cites one case from July 7, 2022, when Bronx cops stopped a man with a fanny pack across his chest, asking what he was hiding in the bag. When cops frisked and searched the bag, the officers found a legally owned knife and the man was released without charges.
The audit found that 76% of all NST stops had reasonable cause, nine points below the department-wide compliance rate from 2020 of 85%.
In cases where stops were solely initiated by an officer, as opposed to a 911 call or witness complaint, the rate dropped further — with nearly one-third of the 124 having no justification, the audit found.
“The NSTs’ compliance issues are troubling, and there is insufficient oversight at the supervisor, command, and Department level,” the monitor wrote, adding, “there appears to be very limited accountability.”
The monitor highlighted the Bronx 41 Precinct’s report card — which logged “exceedingly low” compliance levels with just 41% of stops, 32% frisks and 26% of searches deemed lawful.
“Although some commands have 100% compliance, others fall far short of the mark,” Denerstein wrote.
In addition, the audit found:
- In eight commands, other officers made more lawful stops than NST cops, which the monitor said was “notable given the experience level and training of NST officers.”
- In 230 car stops, two yielded weapons. Two other recovered contraband.
- More than 97% of the people stopped by NST units were black or Hispanic.
A police spokesperson said the department was still reviewing the report but disagreed with the monitor’s conclusions about some of the encounters audited.
“NSTs engage with the public lawfully and constitutionally, and since the implementation of the program they have been instrumental in the reduction of shootings and homicides that the City is experiencing,” the spokesperson said.
A City Hall spokesperson said the Adams administration has “serious concerns with the methodology used” in the report but did not elaborate.
“Of course, any unconstitutional stop is unacceptable and we will strive to do better for New Yorkers every day,” the spokesperson added. “As Mayor Adams always says, the prerequisites to prosperity are public safety and justice.”
The monitor ordered the NYPD to develop a plan to improve the compliance levels of the teams in the next 30 days.
“We expect the Department to take this opportunity to increase its compliance,” the monitor wrote.
“Given the concerning findings,” the report added, “the Monitor will be conducting a more comprehensive audit.”
