A federal judge has ruled the New York City Police Department's stop-and-frisk policy violates individuals' constitutional rights since it "intentionally discriminates based on race.

The stop-and-frisk policy has been criticized for years as racial profiling according to CBS News.

U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin didn't end the practice, but will reform it, by appointing an independent monitor to look after changes to the policy.

Scheindlin accused the NYPD of violating law "through their deliberate indifference to unconstitutional stops, frisks and searches."

"They have received both actual and constructive notice since at least 1999 of widespread Fourth Amendment violations occurring as a result of the NYPD's stop and frisk practices. Despite this notice, they deliberately maintained and even escalated policies and practices that predictably resulted in even more widespread Fourth Amendment violations," said Scheindlin according to CBS News.

Four people had sued, claiming they were unfairly "targeted" based on their race. There have been approximately 5 million stops over the last decade, mostly Hispanic and black men according to CBS News.

Scheindlin also cited violations of the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure according to the Associated Press. She also determined that through paperwork alone, over 200,000 stops were made without reasonable suspicion.

"Far too many people in New York City have been deprived of this basic freedom far too often," said Scheindlin. "The NYPD's practice of making stops that lack individualized reasonable suspicion has been so pervasive and persistent as to become not only a part of the NYPD's standard operating procedure, but a fact of daily life in some New York City neighborhoods."

The case was the largest and broadest legal action against the stop-and-frisk policy at the NYPD. The ruling may have a significant say on how other police departments make stops around the country.

The NYPD has yet to comment officially.

Peter L. Zimroth, a former city lawyer and chief assistant district attorney, was appointed as the monitor according to CBS News.

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