Timeline | The City's Use of Stop-and-Frisk

Stop-and-frisk has been an NYPD tool for decades, but in recent years there has been increased criticism over the number of stops, and more importantly the people targeted for stops — overwhelmingly black or Latino males. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the NYPD has defended the practice, saying it has helped get guns off the streets and keep the number of homicides down. WNYC created an interactive look back at the start of the policy, the legal challenges it has faced, as well as how the numbers have increased over time.