shop and frisk

Shoppers Now Have a ‘Bill of Rights’ Against Profiling, for What It’s Worth

Rashawn Moose Cheatham (L) protests outside Barneys flagship store, accusing the store of racial profiling, on October 30, 2013 in New York City. On April 29, 2013 Trayon Christian, 19, was detained and then arrested by undercover police after buying a $349 belt at Barneys.
Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty

After the recent high-profile spate of so-called shop-and-frisk incidents at stores such as Barneys and Macy’s, and the subsequent high-profile meetings with the Rev. Al Sharpton, everyone pretty much had to come up with something to show they were making progress. The result: a “customers bill of rights” that expressly prohibits profiling by “race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, ancestry, appearance, or any personal or physical characteristics.” Most stores have a policy to this effect, the New York Times points out. Now they’re posting it on the wall. The gesture falls flat for actor Robert Brown, who was detained at Macy’s in October after he bought an expensive watch. He told the Times: “We don’t believe that this is a solution. We’re moving forward with our lawsuit.”

Shoppers Now Have a ‘Bill of Rights’