By Joanna Putman
Police1
NEW YORK — The “How Many Stops Act,” a new city law requiring NYPD officers to file reports on all low-level investigative stops, has officially taken effect, the New York Post reported.
Under the new law, which went into effect on July 1, uniformed officers must document the “aggregate number” of Level 1 encounters, stops where they request information, at the end of their shifts, according to the report. Individual reports are required for Level 2 encounters, which involve accusatory questions or requests for consent to search. Officers will use smartphones to complete these reports, and the data will be aggregated and made public quarterly, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
The internal NYPD order clarifies that officers do not need to report casual conversations with the public unless they develop reasons to collect information or suspect a crime.
“An investigative encounter does not include a casual conversation between a member of the Department and a member of the public,” the order states.
The City Council passed the bill in January, despite strong opposition from Mayor Eric Adams, who vetoed it, according to the report. Adams, along with NYPD officials and police union leaders, argued that the law would burden officers with excessive paperwork.
“We need our officers on patrol, not doing paperwork, but it’s the law, and we must follow the law,” Adams told 1010 WINS.