Pittsburgh City Council is considering a measure that would require city police to document why they are stopping and searching a pedestrian before they do so, reported the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The measure, introduced Tuesday by Councilman Ricky
Burgess, would require officers to use a body-worn camera or vehicle-mounted
recording device to document their reasonable suspicion for initiating a
“stop-and-frisk” of a pedestrian.
Stop-and-frisk refers to incidents where police
stop, search or detain a pedestrian without a warrant.
“The police officers stop-and-frisk
disproportionately African Americans,” Burgess said. “Close to 70% of those
encounters are with Black people. It creates an atmosphere of intimidation.”
This legislation, he said, would reduce racial
profiling in such stops, as officers would have to document a clear reason for
initiating the stop.
If the stop-and-frisk does not result in an arrest,
the officer would be required to provide the pedestrian with documentation
explaining the reasonable suspicion that led to the stop. There will be
exceptions to this requirement if “officer safety or confidential requirements”
would prevent officers from sharing the information.
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