Opinion

The NYPD’s killer stats

The Issue: Whether the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy has contributed to lower murder rates.

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The murder statistics for New York City show that stop-and-frisk is the most effective policy in the nation for reducing murder by handguns (“Fruits of Stop-and-Frisk,” Editorial, Dec. 28).

The NYPD’s targeting of high-crime communities is the only logical assessment to be made.

Taking race out of the picture benefits those in communities with high crime rates.

It’s hard to imagine anyone in this city opposing this procedure with false claims of profiling. Reducing violent crime is the priority. How can anyone argue with success?

Kudos to Mayor Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and the men and women who protect and serve our city.

Theodore Miraldi

The Bronx

Even the American Civil Liberties Union must feel safer knowing that the police use their experience to identify and question those they suspect of carrying guns. Only criminals and the naive would want officers to take a wait-and-see attitude with gun-toting suspects.

Let’s put this issue to rest. Should officers not be trained to identify who is concealing a weapon?

And if an officer suspects a student is carrying a gun in a crowded auditorium, should his or her instincts be ignored?David Bergstein

Manhattan