Weiner Criticizes Stop and Frisk

The weekly rally was hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton. And Weiner, a Democratic mayoral hopeful, called the Police Department’s use of the stop and frisk policy excessive and promised that, if elected, he would not use the tactic “as a racial tool.” 

Weiner added that there were circumstances in which stops were justified, such as if a police spotted a drug dealer standing in the yard of a housing project. 

“I want him arrested and thrown out of the community — I want that to happen,” he said. “I believe you can fight crime without saying to police officers, ‘Go out and get hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of stops.’”

However, Weiner offered no alternative to the controversial policy and Sharpton noted that few of the candidates so far had offered any real solutions.

“I hear a lot of noise, but I’m not hearing a lot of policy, and I’m not hearing a lot of vision,” said Sharpton who has not yet endorsed a mayoral candidate.