New York Mayoral candidates on stop and frisk

NEW YORK -- One of the main issues in the race for Mayor is the stop and frisk. On Monday, Speaker Christine Quinn walked a tight rope.

"Let me say that again, when I'm mayor, these stops will come down dramatically," said Quinn.

Quinn pledges that if she is mayor, she will halt Bloomberg's appeal of Monday's court decision. Yet at the same time, she praised top policeman at the heart of this controversy.

"I've long said that whoever the next mayor is would be lucky to have Ray Kelly as police commissioner and I stand by that," adds Quinn.

Bill Thompson hailed Monday's court decision and clashed with Quinn on the legacy of Ray Kelly.

"I would not keep Ray Kelly as police commissioner. Ray is the face of an abusive stop and frisk policy that has targeted communities of color," says Thompson.

Thompson went further, blaming Speaker Quinn for continuing the Bloomberg years, and that led to continuing stop and frisk.

"I am going to say we wouldn't have had four extra years of Mike Bloomberg if speaker Quinn hadn't overturned the will of New Yorkers and changed term limits," adds Thompson.

Thompson wasn't alone in blaming Quinn, even though she is in favor of an inspector general to oversee police policy.

Candidate Bill Deblasio notes that the city council did not interfere as stop and frisk was increasing over the years, and notes that speaker Quinn has further said she would keep the same police commissioner in place as she opposed a ban on racial profiling.

John Liu was the only candidate to call for an end to stop and frisk all together.

Anthony Wiener called for reforming stop and frisk.

Republican Joe Lhota sided with Mayor Bloomberg.

"I actually don't agree with some of the conclusions that Judge Shinlind came to that there's been a violation of the 4th amendment. That said, I encourage the mayor to appeal this ruling," says Lhota.

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new york city politics, politics & elections, dave evans

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