The New York Police Department releases figures on its ` ` stop and frisk '' policy . The controversial program has sparked lawsuits for unlawful stops . Police say it 's not a matter of racial profiling , but of deterring crime . Last year , amid mounting public pressure from advocacy groups , New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly outlined new police policies in an effort to `` increase public confidence . '' One - third of the stops were for suspicion of marijuana possession .
The New York Police Department releases figures on its ` ` stop and frisk '' policy . The controversial program has sparked lawsuits for unlawful stops . Police say it 's not a matter of racial profiling , but of deterring crime . One - third of the stops were for suspicion of marijuana possession .