The gun laws in NYC being what they are, stop-and-frisk is an excellent way to prevent crime. It's one of the reasons crime in NYC is much lower than in the South, despite a demographic profile similar to many big southern cities. This isn't a body cavity search - it's a quick pat down similar to the kind people get at airports.
So EVERYONE is a potential ‘criminal’ therefore all need to be frisked just to be sure they aren’t? That would be the logical conclusion of your reasoning. Spreading the TSA philosophy to all the public no matter where they are....
I wonder if they were planning anything like this in Chicago with it’s 500 murders a year problem.
Your blind submission to government authority and blatant disregard for the Bill of Rights is troubling for someone who probably fancies themselves a "conservative".
You know what else we could do to prevent crime? Have law enforcement check every house and remove all guns, no exceptions. Using your logic, why not?
Random full-out home raids would be another excellent way to prevent crime. They could roll some dice to choose the house, fire flash-bangs into the living room, kick down the door and spend a few hours doing a thorough search and seizure raid! Just think of all the criminals they would round up!
They wouldn't KILL anyone, at least not intentionally, so it should be OK right?
The point is that it's the act, no matter how small, that's wrong. It's prohibited by the Constitution.
Government abuses nearly always start small and grow slowly over time. Stop and frisk isn't as severe as other things they could do, but it is absolutely an abuse of power.
Are those who have been stopped to be frisked free to refuse and walk away? No. If a young mother who had nothing at all to hide, but was in a hurry to get home to a sick child, was stopped by LEOs like this, she would be arrested and thrown in jail for a few days just the same if she tried to refuse and keep running home.
Don't fall for the well-worn tool of incrementalism! Evil administered one teaspoon at a time is STILL EVIL.
"Hey Champ . . . why don't you stop talking for awhile . . ."