Finally winning the fight with crime & now this?

fshnski Wed May 29, 2013 7:08 am

Even gang members would be able to sue the NYPD under a controversial bill to rein in its stop-and-frisk, tactics the Bloomberg administration charged yesterday.

“Under this bill, the gang members could go to court and claim that the strategy has a disparate impact based upon age or gender or housing status,” said Bloomberg counsel Michael Best.“And they could ask a judge to shut down the whole [stop-and-frisk] strategy.”

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly warned the potential fallout could be devastating.

“Whoever put the bill together didn’t significantly think it through, and the consequence could be catastrophic,” Kelly said.

The legislation allows anyone who is stopped and frisked to sue — if that person’s demographic is targeted at a disproportionately high rate — and to win NYPD reforms.If victorious, the person could demand seeping NYPD policy changes such as an end to stop and frisk.

Mayor Bloomberg warned that if the bill passes, “Start looking over your shoulder very quickly.”

The bill’s intent, supporters say, is to ensure people are not being profiled unfairly.

And gang prosecutions won’t be hurt, they insist.

The fight against gang activity would not be compromised, supporters of the bill insisted.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn has said she will allow the legislation to be passed into law, even though she won’t vote for it herself.