NYC Gun Crime Spikes After Stop-and-Frisk Ruling

Gun violence in New York City has increased nearly 13 percent in the month since a federal judge ruled that the city police department’s stop-and-frisk program was unconstitutional. 

During the 28 days ending Sept. 8, there were 140 shootings in the Big Apple compared to 124 during the same period last year, reports The New York Post.

The number of gunshot victims was up by more than 9 percent during that period, with 164 people hit by bullets this year compared with 150 shot last year.

Latest: Do You Support Background Checks on Gun Buyers? Vote in Urgent Poll

"Shootings are going through the roof now because perps are not afraid to carry a gun," a source told the Post.

Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled on Aug. 12 in her 195-page decision that the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy violated the rights of minorities.

One NYPD source told the Post that cops are no longer being "proactive" with stop-and-frisk because "they’re scared of being sued. They feel as if the city is not going to indemnify them in lawsuits."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly are big supporters of stop and frisk. "No doubt about it, violent crime will go up," Kelly said on CBS' "Meet the Press" following Scheindlin’s decision.

However, Democrat Bill de Blasio, the favorite to succeed Bloomberg in November's election is strongly opposed to the policy, saying it is unconstitutional, The New York Post reports.  Republican rival Joe Lhota supports the policy, saying it saves lives, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Latest: Do You Support Background Checks on Gun Buyers? Vote in Urgent Poll