As most people know during the Michael Bloomberg years as
mayor New York City had “Stop and Frisk”.
Cops would randomly approach people, from what news reports revealed
were predominantly ether Black or Hispanic. The courts found that practice the way it
was unconstitutional and current mayor Bill DeBlasio discontinued it. I am finding out now that the city is finding
new ways to satisfy their fetish of incarcerating Black and Hispanics.
First let me state that I was never fully against the Stop
and Frisk procedure. I personally think
that in the Black and Hispanic community we tend to be soft on crime and far
too many people of color under the age of 30 are getting shot. However the police were not “randomly” stopping the right individuals
and people were being jailed for having marijuana in their pockets. Evidently it was a racist tool to just harass
and incarcerate.
If that wasn’t bad enough now I am finding out that cops are
arresting people for asking for a swipe on the train. A friend first told me about that two weeks
ago when he spent time in jail for asking for a swipe at a subway station. I though he was mistaken. Maybe he did something else in addition. However, two days ago I went down the steps
at Chambers Street in time to see two plain clothed officers walking two young
men out of the station in handcuffs. I
assumed they hopped the turnstile until I went towards the platform and two
kids on the stairwell were looking at the turnstile and saying the kids were
only asking for a swipe.
Talk about desperate.
In addition, I have a friend who works as a bus driver for
MTA. He tells me that the cops are
cracking down on fare evaders on the bus.
Folks who jump on the bus through the back door or ride without a ticket
on the Select Bus Service are finding themselves face to face with the transit
police. But what surprised me is that
even people who tell the driver they have no money and are allowed on the bus
are getting arrested.
At the very least tell people that you cannot ride the
system unless you use your own money.
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