A 34% drop in the number of street stops will certainly get your attention. But a little perspective is needed. The decline follows a time period with a record number of stops. So the practice is still much more common than it was a few years ago. That is, if you believe the statistics reported by the police. Not all of our viewers do.

New York City police stopped 133,934 people between April and June of this year, a 34% drop compared to the first three months of 2012. The decrease follows intense criticism from New Yorkers who say police abuse their discretion when determining who is acting suspiciously.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the number of street stops dropped because "training has improved the quality of the reports." He also says there were fewer officers assigned to high-crime areas the last three months.

Police seized 1,769 weapons in the three-month period, including 194 firearms, 1,259 knives and 316 devices classified as "other." Of those stopped, 54% were black, 32% were Hispanic and 10% were white.

What's your reaction to the drop in Stop, Question and Frisk numbers? Does the recovery of 194 guns warrant stopping 134,000 people in three months? Do you feel the reduction in staffing in high-crime neighborhoods has contributed to the recent spate of gun violence?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I love the stop and frisk. I believe that if you have nothing to hide then obey the law. I am black and i see so many other blacks so ignorant towards authority!! White men are not like that and wasn't brainwashed or raised to be that way. Stop and frisk all of them Usually they have someone else "holding down" their illegal contraband!! Lock them all up!! We want a safer and beautiful NYC without jungle.animals running around!!!

Chalena

I KNOW I'M NOT A CRIMINAL BY A LONG SHOT AND I HAVE BEEN STOPPED AND FRISKED..MEANWHILE..THERE ARE KNOWN CRIME AREAS WHERE POLICE PRECINCT'S ARE LOCATED DEAD SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF..YET THAT CRIME CONTINUES TO GO ON..COPS NEED TO STOP AND FRISK THE REAL CRIMINALS ..INSTEAD OF SIZING UP PEOPLE THAT LOOK EASY..JUST SO IT WOULD LOOK LIKE THERE DOING SOMETHING ..BECAUSE THERE NOT

MCGRIFF FROM BROOKLYN

What's my reaction to the Stop, Question & Frisk numbers? Numbers don't mean anything. No, the reduction in staffing in high-crime neighborhoods, have no bearing in the recent spate of gun violence. People who commit crimes with guns are just criminals. They commit crimes, regardless of whether there are plenty of police present or whether there's less. A criminal is a criminal. To those who use excuses, such as the system failing them, for why they commit crime, the problem lies in their upbringing, because a criminal isn't born. They're made and it begins in the home. Lax parenting!!

Cecilia
East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Mayor Bloomberg and his "private army" have been out on a crusade against guns but all guns, not just illegal ones. It's obvious that their numbers will reflect what is best for their needs, I don't trust their statistics for a second. I agree with the gentlemen from the Bronx and Jamaica, the Mayor and the Police department are focusing on the wrong initiatives in an effort to reduce crime. I can't believe people are actually able to say that we should be giving up our civil liberties to such an extreme. What no one has mentioned yet is the fact that the guns used in all of these crimes are illegal and unregistered guns, the states with open carry permits have the lowest petty crime rates. Law abiding citizens should not be penalized for exercising their constitutional rights or simply living their lives. We must pay more attention to the proper education and upbringing of our children.

Mick from Brooklyn

How many of the 200 guns have a record for any of the violent crimes that occur in the city? The answer would be an important factor in the question of whether S & F was justified.

Michael from Clinton Hill Brooklyn

The Bill of Rights however noble is outdated. Time for a revision of the Constitution or else we are gonna drown in our own blood because of crime

Are 200 guns worth 134,000 stops? Can you imagine 200 Lloyd Morgans killed in one day? Nuff said.

Jimmy from the Bronx.

While it is a good policy in order to promote safety, it is disturbing that more than 50% of people frisked are African American. And yet they make up a much smaller percentage of this state. Let us not forget for example the Colorado mass shooting was not by a black man. In order to be effective Then all people of all races should go through it. Same way the airport will scan everybody.

R. Tee
Queens

These numbers the police put out is just a smoke screen. I've just got off the train not too long ago and saw 2 black youths frisked. The numbers is just a ploy to get the people and media off their backs. Read between their lines!

Mike from Morningside

I think the root problem has to b detected. Who ate these people carrying guns, not hard working civilians. But cops stoping and checking frequently may b a nuicanse for some but creates fear to those who carry weapons. It makes us feel safe. Why cant the street guys b cleaned, send them to serve the country, get them work for police force or such duties and get them to b productive, useful members of society. Why cant govt yrace them n try to fix those involved in misusing guns instead of saftey. Why are guns so freely availabe, why cant the govt have strict gun laws ?

V.

There is obviously a bias. How many women have been stopped? And really now, how much time do these officers spend on frisking and questioning people who have done nothing wrong? That was 90%? A solution is to bring a community together. Stopping and frisking brings out deep seeded feelings that white Americans can never understand.

Jessica from Bayside.

I don't seem to understand why they would instantly stop and frisk me, an 18 year old hispanic girl going to school/work with an obvious small pocketbook over the clearly suspicious caucasian male in his mid 20s. Of course many opinions have their points and what not but if your statistics show over 50% are african american over 30% are hispanic but ONLY 10% are caucasian stereotypes and racial profiling should not make decisions on who to stop and frisk. They are rude disrespectful and invasive. Just be fair stop violence and gun possession don't stop a black or hispanic for being blinded by discrimination.

-Cecily of Queens

If “Stop & Frisk” was a simple matter of being asked to open your handbag or turn out your pockets, of course it would be no problem! But the procedure followed by police is nasty and invasive. Why can’t they politely use a metal-detector wand instead of throwing young men up against squad cars and virtually fondling them in private places?

The other problem is that they aren’t stopping and frisking the right people. They’re scaring young impressionable boys and harmless slackers – the really dangerous thugs the police don’t mess with.

jayne, east harlem

Those who are saying frisk a white man too forget one thing: They aren't frisking black women are they? Everyone in the community should start listening to Opera. Watch the pleasant change that would occur.

MZ from Ozone Park.

I AGREE WITH THOSE 2 CALLERS who said, if you have nothing to HIDE, why complain of being STOP and FRISK. I feel only guilty people don't want to be search by the police. Let the police do their jobs.

Ruthann
Queens

You have to give a little to gain a little. look at the Air port. they trip you naked if you want to get on the plane. we all want to be safe in the air- so it is ok. if you want to live in a safe city- you have to let your civil right be violated for a little. other wise, crime will spent out of control. the city will back to what is was 60 years ago. . NO stop and frisk will translate in Higher crime.

John

Stop and frisk should be executed on a systemic level. It should no be focused on the black and his panic communities. What about queens, and staten island, they have drugs and guns too. Do these areas get special treatment.

Anthony
Manhattan.

It looks like gun violence has increased as a result of less people being stopped & frisked.

Debbie from Flushing

I totally support the "Stop, Question & Frisk" program, however, it must be conducted with courtesy, professionalism and respect - CPR.

The decrease in officers assigned to high-crime areas is a result of what we are now witnessing - more violence, and more violence to come!

Of course, a handful of officers may abuse their authority, but we have thousands of guns and drugs in the hands of thugs who are abusing their authority by destroying the lives of innocent and law-abiding people, and you don't want them stopped and frisked? GET REAL! We can't have it both ways! It appears to me that those criticizing the officers would prefer to let the thugs do as they darn well please. If that is the case, then don't call the officers to these "high-crime" areas when an incident occurs.

Liz
Rosedale

John,

I don't believe the statistics Kelly shells out. He's trying to fool us into thinking that stop and frisk is a wonderful thing and that we just need more of it.

What needs to be implemented is an old idea: cops once again walking the beat, day and night, in every neighborhood. If at every turn, a criminal sees a cop, the likelihood of someone accosting another on the street would decrease tremendously.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

I like stop and frisk when there is reasonable suspicion or the person stopped has or has the body language of someone carrying a weapon; I dont like it when its me or when there is racial or class profiling. Additonally I like it as a deterrent to terrorism.

JS
Flushing

More stats from the Mayor and his number factory, and what timing. So I guess they are going to say the 34% drop in Stop and Frisks is the reason for all this violence, thus legitimizing the practice. But the fact that there is just less police presence in these high crime areas has probably cut down on the stops, and caused the jump in crime due to a lack of deterrents on the streets. I don't know at what point common sense left us, but the tiny percentage of guns they have gotten from Stop and Frisk is not good police work as much as just playing the odds. I could snatch up that many people and find the same amount of illegal items as they have, it's not really scientific detective work. What happened to busting a gun dealer and netting 100-200 guns at a time? That would be more a dent in the supply end of the chain instead of fishing for guns after they have already gotten into the hands of those that should not have them.

As for having less cops on the streets, it just echoes what people have been saying for the past few weeks on your show about a lack of police presence out here. But the fact people are being shot in crowds during large events kind of gives that away, again the police would rather grab people up and be confrontational then be a visible deterrent and prevent some of this from happening. And for all those saying the communities should do something, well there was a time in the past when Black men wanted to arm themselves and protect their communities and everyone from the local police to the FBI were threatened by it. Let law-abiding Black and Hispanic males be Peace Officers and carry weapons legally and if and when they run across these problems in our community let them handle it. The cops can come draw chalk outlines afterwards like they do anyway.

RL
The Bronx

I'm all for stop and frisk if the police would equally stop a white man as fast as they stop a black man but they won't . As a mother of an eighteen yr old who is stop quit often I just want him to be treated like anyone else unless he was seen doing a crime.

Danielle, Harlem

Hi John,

I think both this dictator and this commissioner had better hang it up. They come up with the weirdest figures, polls, etc. you name it. Are we suppose to believe any of this. You would never think that these two are in charge of running the city. They lie to us over and over again. What are we suppose to believe. Like last night this mayor pulls this fast one on us and come to find out this was already a done deal. What happened to all of the jobs and repairs that they were suppose to take care of. Mind you they forgot completely about the pot holes. If they were so sure that they will be a success at our expense of course then how come this mayor can't get his act together with the school system. It's a complete failure. Just like everything else he puts his hands on.

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp