New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg says that stop-and-frisks are down because it has lowered crime, therefore less stops are needed, according to the Associated Press. But critics are saying the reverse has occurred.  

The mayor's office reported statistics Tuesday stating that stops fell 57 percent in the second quarter of 2013 to roughly 58,000. This compares to 133,900 during this same time period in 2012.

Nearly 27 percent fewer killings and 26 percent fewer shootings happened so far this year, compared to the same period of time last year, according to reports from Bloomberg.
The NYCLU says that these numbers aren't related in any way.

"The latest numbers demonstrate an opposite pattern: as street stops plummeted, the murder rate fell," said New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman. 

"It’s time that Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly abandon the scare tactics and engage New Yorkers in a meaningful discussion about reforming the practice of targeting black and Latino New Yorkers for unjustified and abusive police stops," Lieberman said.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that the NYPD violated the constitutional rights of New Yorkers with stop-and-frisk. The judge has appointed an independent monitor to oversee reform of the practice. City lawyers asked the judge to hold off on implementing the changes until they decide their appeal.
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(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)