This Applied Policy Research Lecture Series presentation examines the history and current applications of stop-and-frisk, demonstrating the difficulty of practicing stop-and-frisk in a Constitutional way. It also examines the crime-reduction potential of the strategy and concludes with a discussion of stop-and-frisk as a missed opportunity to accomplish something bigger than just crime control in urban communities.

When the Supreme Court decided the case, Terry v. Ohio in 1968, then-Chief Justice Earl Warren took pains in his majority opinion to emphasize that although brief investigatory stops and frisks for weapons advanced the government's interest to prevent crime, such stops, while allowable, were also highly intrusive, potentially degrading, and absolutely considered a "search" under the Fourth Amendment. Since Terry, the Court has decided additional cases that have made it easier for police departments to move stop-and-frisk from a "one-off" tactic to full-blown crime control strategy. Despite lawsuits and public criticisms that stop-and-frisk frequently targets people and communities of color, stop-and-frisk remains an important crime control strategy in many U.S. police departments.

Robert J. Kane, PhD, is Professor and Department Head of Criminology and Justice Studies.

This lecture is free and open to everyone. If you would like to attend, RSVP here.