'It's Shameful ... Treated Like an Animal': Black Men Sue NYPD After Officers Searched Their Cars During Minor Traffic Stops Even After They Refused Consent

"Black or Latino drivers made up over 84 percent of reported vehicle searches conducted by the NYPD from 2022 through September 2025, while less than 4 percent of vehicle searches targeted white drivers. Black drivers stopped by NYPD officers have their vehicles searched nearly ten times more often than white drivers."

"The claim states the NYPD failed to find contraband in more than 96 percent of the times they searched vehicles during traffic stops. Black people make up only 20 percent of the population in New York City while Hispanics make up about 28 percent, yet they represent the overwhelming majority of vehicle searches."

The NYPD has a documented history of racial profiling against Black and Brown people through stop and frisk procedures. While these practices declined under Mayor Bill de Blasio following lawsuits declaring them unconstitutional, they have resurged under Mayor Eric Adams since 2022. The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against the NYPD and multiple officers, representing two Black men who experienced racial profiling during traffic stops and the NAACP New York State Conference. Data from 2022 through September 2025 shows Black and Latino drivers comprised over 84% of vehicle searches while white drivers represented less than 4%. Black drivers face searches nearly ten times more frequently than white drivers, yet contraband was found in fewer than 4% of all vehicle searches.

Read at Atlanta Black Star