N.Y. City to seek immediate ruling preserving stop-and-frisk

BY JOSEPH AX
NEW YORK Thu Nov 7, 2013 7:09pm EST

(Reuters) - Lawyers for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will ask an appeals court to immediately overturn a ruling deeply critical of the city's "stop-and-frisk" police tactic, seeking a decision before his successor takes office.

By asking for immediate action, the city appears to be trying to speed up the process before January 1, when mayor-elect Bill de Blasio takes office. De Blasio has been a fierce critic of stop-and-frisk, calling it a form of racial profiling.

Aides to de Blasio say the mayor-elect agrees with the original ruling and, once sworn in, will drop the city's appeal.

Bloomberg and his police commissioner, Ray Kelly, have called stop-and-frisk a critical component to the city's anti-crime approach and a historic drop in violent crime.

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