San Francisco mayor still wants a stop-and-frisk law

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San Francisco mayor Ed Lee renewed his call Monday for a stop-and-frisk program similar to those in other major cities, citing the shooting massacre in Colorado last week, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“I am as, if not more, committed, and especially in light of the massacre that occurred in Aurora,” Lee said. “But also the review of what’s happening in New York and Philadelphia and Chicago and the crime that’s committed.”

The policy, which supporters say allows officers to detain anyone who looks suspicious and boost efforts to get illegal drugs and weapons off the streets, has been met by criticism in New York City, where it has been found to focus almost solely on young black and hispanic men. A group of lawmakers met with members of the U.S. Justice Department last month after an independent analysis concluded that the policy failed to make a significant difference in the amount of people being shot in the city.

Lee’s push to bring stop-and-frisk to San Francisco has also been criticized: Last week protestors held a rally at City Hall decrying the policy, with demonstrators holding up signs reading, “Am I Suspicious?” And the local board of supervisors unanimously approved a resolution urging Lee to change course.

“They say it may be right in New York City and it may be right in Philadelphia, but this is the city of St. Francis, this is San Francisco,” supervisor David Chiu said. “This is not what our city is about.”

[image via Commonwealth Club on Flickr, Creative Commons licensed]