The Puerto Rican Bar Association Urges Governor Paterson to Sign Bill Protecting Privacy of Innocent New Yorkers
(New York, NY) The following statement was issued by the Puerto Rican Bar Association ("PRBA") urging NYS Governor David Paterson to sign a bill that would prohibit the New York City Police Department from entering into an electronic database the personal information of individuals who have been stopped by police and released without any further legal action.
"The Puerto Rican Bar Association Board of Directors (PRBA) is calling on the Governor to sign this legislation in order to protect the privacy of innocent law abiding individuals, who were stopped, and frisked by police, often times as a result of racial profiling. We believe that keeping a database for future use of law enforcement techniques, of innocent people who in many instances were racially profiled compounds the egregious problem of racial profiling in New York City. The disproportionate number of Latinos and Blacks being stopped and frisked in New York City, who were found to have committed no crimes, clearly indicates, that in many instances their ethnicity or color was a major factor in such search and frisk stops. The PRBA Board of Directors believes that the Governor's decision to sign this legislation into law will serve as a signal to police departments everywhere that the 4th Amendments rights of our citizens will be guaranteed, regardless of a person's background, ethnicity or color," stated Roberto Ramirez, Chair of the Legislative Committee and Former PRBA President on behalf of the PRBA Board of Directors.
Legislative Bills: Assembly bill # A11177, Sposored by Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries / Senate S7945, Sponsored by Senator Eric Adams.