May 25, 2014 New York City’s police commissioner, William Bratton, made the right decision last month when he said he would disband a unit used by his predecessor, Raymond Kelly, to spy on law-abiding Muslims as they worshiped or patronized businesses in their communities. Beyond proving useless for intelligence purposes, the Demographics Unit undermined the…
When “Arabic-sounding” names are automatically suspicious — but financial crimes are ignored — here’s the result Stop your car to help a woman who appears to be lost — and get pressured, while in police custody, to become an informant. That’s what happened to one of the men profiled in a recent New York Times report on…
NEW YORK — The New York Police Department disbanded a unit that tracked the everyday lives of Muslims, but it has taken a tough stance in a heated legal battle over its continuing use of Muslim informants in terror threat investigations. Muslim groups filed a civil rights lawsuit last year asking a federal judge to…
NEW YORK — A New York City law easing the way for racial profiling claims against police could entangle them in lawsuits over elusive questions about what they were thinking when stopping someone, police unions told a judge Tuesday. The unions faced off in a Manhattan court against lawyers for the city — now including…
UB student’s beliefs call for a beard Muhamed McBryde has loved wrestling ever since he can remember, but when he had to choose between shaving his beard and competing for the University at Buffalo, the decision was easy. McBryde sat on the sidelines. The pre-med student believes shaving the beard would compromise his faith. He…
