STOP AND FRISKS CLIMB

New York City police made nearly 170,000 "stop and frisks" between
April and the end of June, 21% more than were conducted in the
year-earlier period, according to statistics released on Tuesday.

The 169,403 stops made by police increased the total number of stops
over the first half of this year to 319,156, which is up about 2% the
year-earlier period. The NYPD generated a record number of "Stop and
Frisk Reports" in the 2009 first half.

Blacks, who make up about 27% of the city's population but 66% of the
violent crime suspects, were the subjects of 54% of the stops in the
latest second quarter, according to the data.

Hispanics, who were listed as suspects in 27% of violent crimes and
also make up about 27% of the population, made up 34% of the stops.
Whites, who were suspects in 5% of the crimes and make up about 45% of
the population, made up 9% of those stopped.

During the latest second quarter, 8% of the stops resulted in the
issuance of a summons and 7% resulted in arrests, up from 7% and 6%,
respectively, in the year-earlier period.

Last month, a new law caused more than a million names and other
identifying information on people stopped and questioned by police but
not charged with anything to be purged from an NYPD electronic
database. Proponents of the law say police don't have a constitutional
right to use such information while advocates of the database said it
helped drive down crime.