- Lawsuit claims NYPD uses traffic stops to justify vehicle searches.
- Over two million stops recorded since NYC’s 2021 data law passed.
- Black drivers are 10 times more likely to be searched than whites.
The New York City Police Department has long drawn fire from civil rights groups and legal advocates over allegations of racial profiling, discriminatory practices, and deeply rooted systemic bias.
Now, a newly filed lawsuit is bringing those concerns back into focus, claiming that NYPD officers are engaging in what it calls “stop-and-frisk on wheels.”
Read: NYPD Tightens Car Chase Rules After 25% Of Pursuits Ended In Crashes Or Injuries
The complaint alleges that NYPD officers are disproportionately targeting Black and Hispanic drivers during traffic stops, with those motorists more likely to be searched, arrested, and have their vehicles seized.
Who Is Being Stopped, And How Often?
The case, brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union and Bronx Defender Services, highlights the scale of traffic stops carried out since a 2021 law began requiring officers to record every stop they make.
Over the first three years, more than two million stops have been documented. Black drivers accounted for 32 percent of them, even though they make up only 22 percent of the city’s driving population.
Hispanic drivers were also overrepresented, comprising 30 percent of all stops despite accounting for only 23 percent of the driving public. In contrast, white drivers, who make up 38 percent of the city’s motorists, were stopped just 23 percent of the time.
The Disparity in Arrests and Searches
The differences are especially stark when it comes to arrests and vehicle searches. According to the NY Daily News, black and Hispanic drivers accounted for 90 percent of all arrests after traffic stops.
What’s more, the lawsuit notes that black drivers are 10 times more likely to be searched than white drivers. Hispanic drivers are six times more likely to be searched than whites.
The NYPD has also been accused of frequently stopping motorists in minority neighborhoods as a pretext to look for guns, according to the lawsuit.
Stop-and-Frisk, Reframed Through Traffic Stops
“Far too many Black and Latino drivers in New York City are treated like criminals when their vehicles are searched during what should be routine traffic stops, merely because of the color of their skin,” Civil Liberties Union lawyer Daniel Lambright said.
“The NYPD’s targeting of Black and Latino drivers with baseless vehicle searches is nothing more than stop and frisk on wheels, and it must come to an end.”
Among the named plaintiffs is 35-year-old Justin Cohen, a Black man who was pulled over in 2023 for allegedly speeding. He says the encounter escalated quickly, as he was searched without cause, arrested, and had his vehicle seized. He was later released with nothing more than a speeding ticket
