Sunday, April 6, 1997
Civil rights advocates yesterday announced a protest rally over Police Department efforts to get high school yearbooks for use in identifying potential crime suspects.
Accompanied by parents and students, New York Civil Liberties Union officials said protesters will rally outside Police headquarters in lower Manhattan on April 27, then march to City Hall.
“Our phones have been ringing, and people have been stopping me in the street and saying, ‘We’re with you on this one, Civil Liberties,’ ” said Norman Siegel, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
The protest was sparked by the Daily News’ disclosure that police bosses ordered detectives around the city to obtain copies of all high school yearbooks in their precincts.
Cops said they want the yearbooks because the photos in some cases could help identify suspects.
But the request drew criticism from parents, students and some public officials. Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew said the high schools won’t routinely hand over the yearbooks.
Instead, they will consider police requests on a case-by-case basis, Crew said.
Mayor Giuliani yesterday repeated his call for Crew and Police Commissioner Howard Safir to resolve their disagreement over the issue.
“I think that the best solution to this is that they try to work it out,” Giuliani said at a Little League baseball game in Brooklyn.
“There are legitimate interests and concerns on both sides.”
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