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Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered a spirited defense of the New York Police Department’s use of stop-and-frisk on Thursday, saying “stops are a deterrent.” It comes a day after an analysis of NYPD data by the NYCLU showed police targeted blacks and Latinos for stop-and-frisks.

Public defenders in the Bronx said more than 40 percent of the marijuana arrests they investigated in their borough between May and October 2011 show violations of constitutional rights and problems with evidence.  Many of these unlawful arrests, defense lawyers said, were made after an internal NYPD order was issued directing all officers to follow the law when making marijuana arrests.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says he had heard multiple allegations that his officers were skirting the law when charging people for misdemeanor marijuana possession — but he says he doesn't know if they are true.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has issued an internal order to the New York City Police Department commanding officers to stop arresting people for small amounts of marijuana possession, if the marijuana was never in public view.  The directive comes at a time when the NYPD is taking increasing heat about alleged improper marijuana arrests.

The NYPD is on track to have a record number of stop-and-frisks by the end of 2011.