New 'Stop-and-Frisk' Policy Increases Transparency in Newark

A new policy requiring Newark police to maintain a detailed, publicly available record of the people officers stop and question was approved Tuesday by the Newark Municipal Council, delighting civil rights  advocates.  

“Newark has taken an important step today in instituting greater transparency in policing practices, and in building the trust and confidence of the public in our police force,” said Udi Ofer, executive director of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. “This new policy gives New Jerseyans a close look into how policing is administered in our largest city, and should serve as a model for the rest of the state and nation.”  

Similar reforms may soon be coming to Newark’s much larger neighbor to the east, New York City, whose department’s own stop-and-frisk practices are under review by the courts.

The policy, which is considered to be one of the most transparent in the nation, was developed by the department and introduced before the council by Mayor Cory Booker. It requires police officers to record data including the age, race, sex and English-language proficiency of anyone subjected to a “stop-and-frisk” search.

Officers will also have to record whether the stop resulted in an arrest and if so, for what offense. That information will be posted online in monthly reports.

The department will also be required to publicize its internal affairs information, including the number of complaints logged against officers and the outcomes of those complaints, such as whether an officer was disciplined and if so, how.

The action comes as a two-year investigation into the activities of the Newark Police Department continues. In 2011, the Department of Justice began the investigation following an ACLU report detailing allegations of widespread abuse by Newark police officers, as well as problems with the department’s internal affairs unit, which is entrusted with investigating civilian complaints against police.

Booker was initially critical of the ACLU’s report, but eventually welcomed the Justice Department investigation, which both he and US Attorney Paul Fishman have characterized as a “partnership” intended to improve Newark police practices.

“A safer Newark relies on the level of trust that is maintained between law enforcement and the civilians they protect,” Booker said in a statement.  “Our police officers work closely with community members each and every day to foster that trust. Making Newark’s police data available to the public will enable better collaboration between police and citizens, which in turn will make our city a better place to live for all of our residents.”

West Ward Councilman Ron Rice, who for years had been calling for an investigation into residents’ complaints against police, also praised the Newark Police Department for the new policy. But Rice also suggested the department was spurred to act by the Department of Justice investigation, the conclusion of which Rice said was “imminent.”

Rice also said that residents, especially in neighborhoods plagued by drug- and gang-related violence, do want police to question suspicious people -- but without violating anyone’s civil rights.

“You’re not going to lower crime if people don’t trust the police,” he said.  

The new policies announced today are the just the latest successful attempt by the ACLU to rein in unconstitutional police practices. Last year, the city and the department agreed to institute a policy affirming the public’s right to film police activity.